The Disastrous 42nd Hunger Games
by Hoprocker
Summary: 24 tributes enter, but only one will reign supreme and be crowned victor of the 42nd annual Hunger Games. Follow each tribute as they fight through one of the most exciting Games since the First Quarter Quell. Set in a pristine city, treacherous disasters lie in wait, ready to rip this arena to shreds. Welcome to the Disastrous 42nd, and may the odds be ever in your favor...
1. The Tributes

**Hey and welcome to my Hunger Games story! This is not one of those interactive thingies, even though it got caught up in the purge. It's my own Hunger Games that I wanted to write. I guess admins were just deleting stuff left and right without really looking, which makes sense since they had so many stories (or in some cases, author's notes) to get rid of. Since I didn't break any rules and so many people seemed to like this story and want to know how it will end, I'm putting chapters back up.**

**Sorry, since this isn't interactive, there's no sponsor system. The characters in it were created by my friends and acquaintances. This chapter contains a list of those characters as a reference in case you want to check back on what district they're from or how old they are.**

**;) Enjoy! **

Another year gone, just like that.

Already it was time for the 42nd annual Hunger Games.

President Snow could barely believe it—it seemed just yesterday the Capitol was putting down revolts from the twelve districts. Now, those pathetic fools had learned their place. Peace reigned over the land, and each year, the Hunger Games reminded them of the Capitol's power.

"Mr. President, I have the list of tributes that will be apart of this year's games."

President Snow, who had steadily been clipping away at a white rose in his private garden, turned to see the latest Head Gamemaker coming towards him. The young woman had a slip of paper in her hand, which she handed to the president.

"Looks like an interesting cast this year…" Snow said, skimming the list:

**District 1 (Luxury)**

M: Hip Hoprock (15)

F: Chanpagne "Channa" Bordeaux (17)

**District 2 (Masonry)**

M: Bridon Jakkels (18)

F: Sienna "Si" Roan (12)

**District 3 (Technology)**

M: Jack Newman (16)

F: Gadgette Langlee (13)

**District 4 (Fishing)**

M: Frederick Mariner (16)

F: Bassin Zense (15)

**District 5 (Power)**

M: Cole Louis Miller (16)

F: Cassia Teir (12)

**District 6 (Transportation)**

M: Mitchell "Mitch" Anthony (17)

F: Chat Darner (14)

**District 7 (Lumber)**

M: Tasi Merkava (16)

F: Calista Sirrom (17)

**District 8 (Textiles)**

M: Abbadon Sirus (18)

F: Ash Frustlock (15)

**District 9 (Grain)**

M: Drake Cell (15)

F: Carasadni "Cara" Antwip (16)

**District 10 (Livestock)**

M: Shem Dog (18)

F: Olivia Morgan (16)

**District 11 (Agriculture)**

M: Caden Amaranth (15)

F: Julia Stark (15)

**District 12 (Mining)**

M: Carson Anthony Rivera (16)

F: Ellis Cade (14)

"Did you watch the Reapings?" The Head Gamemaker asked, "Which tribute do you think looks the most promising…?"

"I can't say just yet." Snow responded, looking away from the list. "It all depends on the arena, of course. I trust you've taken care of the preparations…?"

The Gamemaker smiled darkly. "Oh yes. And if I must say so myself, it's one of my best designs yet! The audience is going to love the theme I've come up with, I'm sure."

"Oh, yes? Care to elaborate?" President Snow returned his gaze to the white rose, clipping it thoughtfully.

"Are you sure you don't want it to be a surprise?" The Gamemaker asked, frowning.

"I hate surprises."

"Very well." The Head Gamemaker seemed slightly disappointed, but jumped at the chance to describe her arena to her leader. Her excitement was clear as she launched into the latest setting of the Hunger Games.

"Well, you see…this year's Game is going to be filled with disasters…"


	2. The Reapings

**The last time, the Reapings were divided up into 4 chapters. This time, that's not the case. Please don't hate me.**

**Earlier that day, before the Reapings…**

**District 1**

"Miss Chanpagne Bordeaux! You. Look. Beautiful!"

Chanpagne twirled in her silk green dress, reveling in her family's attention. Her mother was squealing in a fake Capitol accent and snapping pictures every five seconds while her father stood there, gazing at her proudly. Her brother, Dionysus, was nodding in agreement.

Only her sister looked unhappy. "Green is an ugly color," She huffed, obviously envious of the attention her older sister was getting.

"I make it pretty." Chanpagne smiled, batting her eyelashes. "I think someone's just jealous."

"As if!"

"Stop it, Chardonnay." Her father said sternly, "This is Channa's big day. Don't spoil it for her."

"I'm not!" Chardonnay protested, but her mother's fawning over Channa drowned her words out.

"Let's get going to the Reaping." Her father said, "We don't want to be late for your big day!"

"Of course not." Channa said, running her fingers through her long, brown hair and smiling. As they exited the house, the thought of taking one last look crossed her mind. But then she shook her head, smirking. She would be back in two or three weeks, with the winnings from the Games. She would buy her family a house twice as big. They could expand the vineyard they owned and become the richest people in District 1.

She reveled in these thoughts as they made their way to the town square. Just before they lined up for identification, her brother pulled her aside.

"Channa…" He said slowly, "Remember to volunteer as soon as they call the first name. Last year, I hesitated. I blew my one and only chance of competing."

"Don't worry, Dionysus." She said, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "I won't hesitate! And if I do somehow miss it, there's always next year."

"Channa!" Excited shouts filled the air as a group of giggling girls came rushing towards her. "Channa, are you going to volunteer?" "You look so pretty in that dress!" "I wish I had hair like yours…" They crowded around her eagerly, as if she had already become a celebrity of the Games.

She laughed lightly, "Of course I'm going to volunteer. And I'm going to win, too."

"If you make it into the Games, you're sure to be the star of the show…" One of the girls complimented her, "You look beautiful."

"Well, I won't argue with that." Channa smirked, tossing her head proudly, "Now, get out of my way. You're mussing up my dress and I need to focus."

Apologizing, they moved aside. Head held high, Channa strode away, her high heels clicking loudly against the pavement. As she took her spot among her fellow 17-year olds, she was aware of many eyes, both male and female, plastered on her. Lustful, envious eyes…

She shot a glance towards the many male tributes that had lined up parallel to the girls. Some saw her looking and quickly turned their faces away. Others couldn't help but stare back, entranced. She twirled a strand of chocolate-brown hair with her finger. _Maybe I'll seduce everyone to death…_ She caught one young man's eye and licked her lips. He turned a bright shade of red.

"Hello everyone! And welcome to the Reaping for the 42nd annual Hunger Games!"

Channa turned her attention to the stage, where District 1's female escort was serving as an announcer. She was dressed in a tacky yellow dress that clashed with her bright orange hair. Channa rolled her eyes. "Seriously? Couldn't they give us an escort with a little more fashion sense?"

A few girls forced laughs around her, but everyone else was focused on the Reaping.

"Ladies first…"

Channa tensed every muscle in her body. As soon as the escort read the name, she would volunteer. She wouldn't let anyone take away the opportunity. She had promised her brother she would be in the Games this year. And her mother, who so desperately wanted connections with the Capitol…

"This year's tribute is…Chanpagne Bordeaux!"

"I VOLUNTEER!" Channa screamed at the top of her voice. Everyone turned to look at her with wide eyes. It took a moment to sink in that her name was the one that had been called. "Ohmigosh!" She gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth.

"Channa, you did it!" One of her followers shrieked in excitement. Her friend moved in to give her a hug, but Channa shoved her out of the way and made a mad dash for the stage, moving as fast as her high heels would allow. Peacekeepers struggled to catch up with her and escort her the rest of the way up the stairs. The announcer approached her, smiling gently.

"Hello dear, you must be—"

"Chanpagne Bordeaux!" She said, snatching the microphone from the escort. "But my friends call me Channa. There they are! Wave to the camera, girls!"

Her friends screamed ecstatically, jumping up and down as cameras zoomed in for a good shot.

"Okay, okay, that's enough. My turn." Channa said impatiently, "Oh! Ew, get away!" The escort had tried to take the microphone from her, but she elbowed her away roughly. "Anyways, I want to thank all of you! I can't wait to represent District 1 at this year's Hunger Games!" She lifted her green dress up and swept into a perfect curtsy.

Everyone cheered, obviously pleased with the tribute that had been chosen. She spotted her family in the back. Her parents were positively beaming. Her mother had thrown her arms around her father and was kissing him. Her brother was clapping his hands with vigor, and even her little sister was smiling…

Suddenly, she felt her throat close up. "But most of all…" She choked out, tears clouding her eyes, "I want to thank my family. I would never have made it this far if it weren't for them…I promise I'll make you proud. All of you!"

The crowd burst into another round of applause, as the escort finally managed to wrestle the microphone away from her. "Wonderful…" She said breathlessly, straightening her orange wig. "Well, up next is the drawing for the male tribute…let's see what we have…"

A Peacekeeper handed Channa a handkerchief. Dabbing at her eyes, she watched as the escort went to pick out the slip of paper that would have her competitor's name written on it.

"Lee Poplar!"

A mousy, 12-year old boy flinched at the sound of his name being called. Peacekeepers began to move toward him. He barely had a chance to register what was going on, when a voice rang out over the hush that had fallen.

"I volunteer!"

A young, dark-haired boy wearing torn jeans and a leather jacket stepped out of the crowd, head held high with confidence. The Peacekeepers looked at him in surprise.

"Oh my, we have a volunteer!" The female announcer exclaimed, "Please do come up to the stage!"

The Peacekeepers changed directions, leaving behind a relieved Lee to stand beside the dark-haired boy. As they led him up to the stage, another voice rang out, this time much deeper.

"Wait!" A tall, muscular 18-year old came sprinting from the back of the crowd towards the Peacekeepers. "He can't volunteer! I've been training for this my whole life and this is my last year to compete!"

Channa was instantly reminded of the misfortune that had befallen her brother last year. She watched the exchange with interest.

"Oh…I'm so sorry…" The announcer said uncertainly, "But he volunteered first. If he relinquishes it to you, then…" She trailed off, unsure of what to say.

"You're only 15. You can enter the games another year. Let me do it." The tall boy growled, glaring down at the tribute before him, "Besides, you know very well that I called dibs on it at the academy."

The 18-year old was more than a head taller than the dark-haired boy, but that didn't intimidate him at all. He looked up into the face of his challenger and sneered, "Oh, I didn't realize that you had called _dibs_ on it. Well, excuse me for trampling all over your sacred dibs, but_ I'm_ going to be District 1's male tribute this year. Not you. Maybe if you'd been quicker to actually volunteer instead of being so concerned with your precious—"

At this, the older boy drew back his fist and punched the dark-haired boy right in the mouth. The dark-haired boy stumbled backwards, clutching his jaw with both hands, eyes wide with shock.

The Peacekeepers were on the older boy immediately, dragging him away as he protested loudly. Nobody attacked a tribute. _Nobody._ They had to be kept in perfect condition for the upcoming games.

The dark-haired boy turned away, making his way to the stage by himself. Channa was surprised to see that he was smiling triumphantly, despite the fact that the corner of his lip was bleeding.

"What's your name?" The escort asked, holding the microphone in his direction.

"Hip Hoprock." He announced, reaching up to wipe away at the blood.

_Seriously? _Channa thought, trying to hold back a derisive laugh.

"Wonderful! Shake hands, you two."

Hip reached his hand forward, a confident smile lighting up his handsome features. Channa stared at his hand, now stained with his blood, and felt a moment of revulsion.

Then she realized that soon, she would be in the arena. Her perfect, clean hands were going to be painted red by the time this was over. Maybe she would even have to kill her fellow tribute, this boy with the bloodstained hands who now stood in front of her, smiling at her…

But as long as she won, it didn't matter. She would stain her hands with the blood of every single child in that arena before she would lose.

She reached forward and shook his hand.

**District 2**

THUNK!

The spear was right on target. If the dummy had been alive, it would be dead now. Sienna, feeling pleased, turned to face her dad, who was overseeing her training. She had hit every single dummy in fatal spots that surely would have killed her fellow tributes instantly.

"That was perfect, Si." Her father told her, eyes shining with pride, "You'll be the next victor for sure…just like your old man."

She allowed herself a small smile. Her father had won the Hunger Games many years ago and had been training her in the ways of the spear since she could hold one. He was the only person she cared about in her life. She didn't have any friends, no mother, and no siblings…well, not anymore.

"So are you excited for your first Reaping?" Her father asked, as he removed the spearheads from the dummies and tossed them into a bundle.

"No." Sienna said, frowning, "There's no way I'll get called, and even if I do, some older girl will probably try to steal it from me."

"But I know you won't let them." Her father said confidently, moving towards her to kneel in front of her, "You won't let anyone steal the glory from you, eh, little Snow White?" The affectionate nickname, referring to her pale skin and short, black hair, did not soften Sienna's resolve.

"I won't." She said, gritting her teeth. Her brothers had tried to steal the glory from her once. They thought she was weak. If only they were still alive, so that she could prove them wrong…

"I know you won't." Her father held her face in his hands and kissed her forehead. "Now let's get going."

* * *

This was the year.

This was the year Bridon Jakkels would win the Hunger Games in a blaze of glory, bringing honor to his district and making his father proud. His brother had died a few years before in the Games, but he felt neither remorse nor desire to avenge him. It was merely a learning experience. A year that made the Jakkels name known, that would prepare Panem for what was coming…

Excitement pulsed in every fiber of his being as he speared a dummy through the heart, imagining it to be a fellow tribute. His brother's ally had betrayed him at the end of the Games. But Bridon knew he would trust no one. He would kill without hesitation.

"Bridon…it's time." His mother and father were standing in the doorway to the training center. Their eyes shone proudly as they gazed upon their son.

"I'm ready." Bridon said, and left with them to attend the Reaping.

As he waited in line to check in, he flexed his fingers, imagining them around someone's throat. He couldn't wait to get into the arena. He wished he could skip all of the idiotic festivities that came with the Hunger Games, and get right to the actual thing itself.

After signing in, he stood at the back of the crowd, impatient, as the overexcited female announcer twittered on and on about the tradition of the Games. Finally, she drew names.

"This year's female tribute is…" She paused for dramatic effect, "Sienna Roan!"

A few cried out, "I volunteer!" but the short 12-year old was already headed for the stage. The frantic girls who had volunteered tried to tear themselves away from the crowd and run for the stage, but Sienna beat them to it. The Peacekeepers formed a line and pushed them back into place, despite their pitiful protests.

"Well, hello there, darling!" The escort chirped, "Are you sure you'd like to volunteer at such a young age?"

"Yes, I'm sure." The little girl said, eyes narrowed dangerously.

"All right then, that means you're District 2's tribute for this year! Yaaay!" She clapped her hands. Sienna looked as if she could have ripped the escort's throat out right there on stage. "Next up, our lovely male tribute!"

Bridon prepared himself, ready to volunteer. His name was in there plenty of times, but if he didn't get chosen, he was ready to attack someone for the chance to get into the Games. It was his last year, after all.

However, luck was on his side that day.

"Bridon Jakkels!" The escort practically sang.

"Yes!" He hissed under his breath.

He pushed his way through the other 18-year old boys, who were all grabbing at him and saying, "Let me do it!" but he shoved them aside. He refused to let anyone take this away from him. As he came up to the stage, the escort announced their names one more time, and the audience burst into a thundering applause.

Bridon showed no emotion on the outside, but inside, he couldn't have been happier. Sienna glared at the crowd angrily, as if challenging them to take this away from her because of her size or age. But it was official; these were the tributes that would be representing District 2 in the Hunger Games.

"Wonderful, wonderful! Sienna, Bridon, shake hands with your fellow tribute!"

Bridon looked at the pale, little girl in front of him. She had to be more than a foot shorter than him. _You've got to be kidding me. I could snap this runt's neck with one hand._ He thought, reaching forward to shake.

She took it and squeezed it with surprising strength. Her eyes were chips of blue ice; as if she had guessed what he were thinking. He squeezed her hand back, practically crushing it in his iron grip, but she didn't flinch.

The two stayed like that for a moment, locked in each other's grip, glaring at each other. Hostility radiated off of them in waves. Then they let go, both inwardly excited that they would finally fulfill their dreams of being in the Hunger Games…

**District 3**

"Mom, Dad, hurry up! We're behind on schedule!"

"Jack, calm down. The Reaping isn't going to start without us." Jack's mother soothed, walking arm-in-arm with his father.

Jack fidgeted uncomfortably, his beady blue eyes darting around nervously. His short, reddish-brown hair was groomed back neatly and he wore a red polo shirt that his mother had picked out for him. If she hadn't taken so long trying to make him looking presentable, they would be running on time…

Unfortunately for Jack, his parents were used to his OCD ways and never honored his desire to always keep to a schedule. It was partially their fault he was like this—they had entered him into the family business of clock making when he was just a little boy. And it had made him obsessed with time, counting, and schedules. But he never even seemed to realize how anal he was.

Finally, they made it to the town square and he hurriedly joined a group of 16-year old boys, breathing a sigh of relief once he realized that he was not late after all.

* * *

"Everyone gather round, it's time for the Reaping!" The escort up on the stage called.

"Gizmoe…" Gadgette whimpered, clinging to her brother, "I don't want to go…don't leave me…"

"It's okay, Gadgette." Gizmoe comforted his twin sister, brushing the jet-black hair that had come out of her braid back behind her ear, "It'll be just like last year. We'll only be apart for a little while, then I'll come get you."

She nodded tearfully. "Okay." She agreed. They parted ways, each for their assigned section. Gadgette stood on the outskirts of the 13-year old girls, and Gizmoe stood directly across from her. They were only a few yards apart, but Gadgette still felt terrified and alone.

While the escort gave the usual introduction, Gadgette kept her eyes glued to Gizmoe. He did the same. Theirs was a deep bond, and nothing could break it. Not even what was coming next.

"And this year's female tribute from District 3 will be…Gadgette Langlee."

"No!" Gadgette screamed, before she could stop herself. Everyone turned and looked at her with wide eyes.

She gave a strangled sob and started crying on the spot. She buried her face into her hands and wailed pitifully. Arms surrounded her and she was aware of Gizmoe, breathing into her ear, saying that he was here for her, that he would protect her, but then came the Peacekeepers. They pried him off of her, and dragged her forcefully up to the stage as she screamed incoherently.

Once she was up there, a Peacekeeper held her in place. She didn't try to escape, and just stood there, shaking and sniffling, tears pouring down her face. Gizmoe watched helplessly, his eyes red as he resisted the urge to join his sister in crying.

"Our male tribute for this year is…Jack Newman." The escort spoke loudly, as if to drown out Gadgette's bawling.

Through her tears, she managed to make out a lanky boy with reddish hair coming down the aisle towards the stage. His eyes were wide with panic. Both tributes in a daze, they shook hands. Then they were led into the Justice Building where they would bid their families farewell.

**District 4**

"Oh my gosh, there he is!" "Isn't he just gorgeous?" "Shh! He's looking this way!"

Frederick glanced behind him at the group of girls that had gathered. They were whispering about him, of course. They were always whispering about him. Apparently, he was the perfect specimen of a man. There was just something about his bronze colored hair, tanned skin, and sea green eyes—_especially_ the sea green eyes—that the ladies just couldn't resist. They even fawned over the jaw-shaped scar he had received from a shark two years ago. Said it made him look hot and dangerous. Frederick couldn't understand their reasoning sometimes…

But he wasn't interested. They were all the same to him. He often compared them with the seagulls that would flock to him as he hauled in his daily catch of fish. Crazed birds, never ceasing their squawking…

He sighed.

"Frederick! You look good in that black suit."

He turned to see his friend Chelsea Fischer approaching. She had a wide grin on her face and was looking quite pretty in a simple blue blouse. Chelsea was, perhaps, his best friend, but there was nothing between them. They got along splendidly, but he knew she wasn't "the one."

"Thanks." Frederick said, smiling softly, "You look good too." He heard the sound of girls swooning somewhere behind him. Then they burst into another round of raucous whispering, no doubt badmouthing Chelsea for one reason or another.

"Oh, thanks!" Chelsea said, smoothing her skirt. "Yeah, I couldn't decide whether to wear blue or yellow, but I figured yellow is too bright and I don't want to be this big yellow spotlight amidst a bunch of duller colors, so I…"

Frederick zoned out, as he often did when Chelsea was talking. She could carry on entire conversations with just herself, so he let her. When they called everyone to sign in and gather before the stage, she shut up, said a quick goodbye, and ran off to join some of her other friends.

Frederick joined his fellow 16-year olds and waited patiently as they drew the first name…

* * *

"Bassin Zense."

Bassin heard her name, but she wasn't worried. She came from a career district. If she didn't want to do it, someone would volunteer for her. That's just how it worked. She waited patiently for someone to shout, "I volunteer!" and take her place.

But…no one did.

"Bassin Zense?" The escort called again.

Girls around her were parting the crowd, pointing to her. The Peacekeepers approached her and began to guide her towards the stage. Dread filled her stomach as she walked beside them. No one was volunteering…there was only silence.

At the bottom of the stage, she halted. The Peacekeepers grabbed her arms and hauled her the rest of the way up. "No, wait! Please, this is a mistake! I'm not prepared…!" She begged the Peacekeepers hoarsely, but their faces were hard. They didn't care at all.

_This isn't fair…!_ She wanted to wail. She looked out into the crowd of nameless faces. _Why won't any of you volunteer? _She screamed inwardly. _Surely one of you has trained for this…surely one of you wants this…!_

It took all of her strength not to burst into tears and start screaming. This seemed so impossible. Her life had been so perfect up until now…even with two parents, two sisters, and a brother, her family never went hungry. Nothing had ever gone wrong until this day.

She should have figured it all had to come crashing down at some point.

_It's just a bad dream…_ She thought to herself, crossing her arms and digging her nails into her skin, _a bad dream… _This way of thinking immediately comforted her. Yes, it was only a nightmare, and she would have to wake up at some point. This couldn't go on forever.

"And now for the male tribute…Shad—"

"I volunteer." A calm, confident voice interrupted before the announcer could even finish declaring the chosen tribute.

Frederick could see Chelsea staring at him in disbelief. He hadn't told her he was going to volunteer. He hadn't told anyone.

He had been training in secret for a long time. Honing his skills with a trident, working out, going on long jogs to improve his endurance…now, he felt he was ready to compete. He would show Panem that he was strong, that District 4 was the best of them all.

He made his way up to the stage, where the little 15-year old girl called Bassin was trembling. He shook her hand, and she looked into his eyes fearfully. He felt a flash of pity, but he quickly pushed it aside. He could not afford to feel sorry for anyone.

In just a few weeks, this girl would be dead. And he would be crowned victor of the 42nd Hunger Games.

**District 5**

Another day, another Reaping…

Cole always felt sad on this day. It never got any easier—seeing a familiar face from school, perhaps a friend or an acquaintance, being taken away to die. The Hunger Games were pure evil, killing children for entertainment. It made him feel sick to his stomach.

But today, he felt even more depressed than usual. This was the first Reaping that his father would not attend. He would not be there to encase him in his strong arms after seeing the tributes being taken away. He would not be there to comfort him, or suggest that they go out and do something fun to forget the horrors of the day.

Cole still lay awake at night, wondering what could have caused the power plant meltdown that took his father away. Sometimes, he cried. He would scream into his pillow, crying out, "Give him back! Give him back!" But in the morning, he always put on a brave face for the sake of his mother and his little brother. He had to take care of them now; he was the new man of the house and he performed this duty as best as he could.

Even at the Reaping, he would kneel down, on the same level as his brother, and promise, "I'll be right back." This was always a sort of comfort to them. After that, Cole would take his place among the 16-year olds, watch the victims be taken from their families, and then return to his own.

This year, he hoped, would be no different. It was painful to see people he knew taken away. But there was always that sense of relief that it wasn't him. And he hoped it would never be him, because he had to take care of his family now.

"Cassia Teir."

The first name called was that of a 12-year old girl. She was right at the base of the stage and turned white as a sheet upon hearing it. Peacekeepers corralled her onto the stage. It was easy to tell who her family was—they were in the back, crying. Three little boys were wailing without abandon.

Sorrow welled up from within Cole. If only the Capitol could feel the remorse that he felt upon seeing these broken families.

"Up next, the boy tributes…"

_Here we go._

Cole folded his hands and prayed silently that it would not be him. He lifted his head to the sky and stared at the clouds, imagining his father looking down on him, protecting him…

"Cole Louis Miller."

The shock of it hit him like a wrecking ball. He stood there for a moment, stunned. A few guys around him, acquaintances from school, reached over to give him reassuring pats. This broke him out of his stupor, and he slowly walked towards the stage.

_Now who will take care of them?_ He wondered, refusing to look back and see the tear-stricken faces of his family, for that would no doubt cause him to break down on the spot.

**District 6**

_Just a little bit more…almost there…_

"Chat!"

The rabbit, which had been so close to triggering the falling rocks that would end its life, turned and bolted away into the underbrush.

"Darn it, Trail!" Chat growled, standing up and rounding on her little brother, "That was our dinner for tonight!"

"Sorry Sis," Trail apologized, eyes wide, "but you know you shouldn't be hunting on Reaping day! Besides, Auntie says you need to get ready."

"Fine." Chat agreed, grabbing her little brother's hand and leading him in the direction of home. He was only 10 years old, and wouldn't have to worry about the Reaping for another two years. But this was her third Reaping, and since she had put in for tesserae her first year, so her name was in there quite a few times. She was feeling nervous, but tried not to show it, for Trail's benefit.

"There you are." Their aunt greeted, looking relieved. "You haven't been out hunting, I hope?"

"No." Chat lied.

"Not hunting…setting traps." Trail said truthfully. Chat shot him a glare, but it went unnoticed.

"Chat! You know you're not supposed to do that on Reaping day! If the Peacekeepers knew…" Auntie chastised, all the while pulling out a simple white dress and forcing it into her hands, "Oh well, you need to get ready. I want to get this over with."

_Me too._ Chat agreed silently, staring at the dress in her hands and dreading what was to come.

Meanwhile, on the opposite side of town, Mitchell Anthony was tuning out the world in his parents' garage, working on a busted-up car while listening to a crackling radio. The car had been abandoned near their district, no doubt by some Capitol snob. Mitch and his friends had pushed the car all the way back to his house, where he had hid it in their garage.

_Once I get this thing running…oh man…_ He grinned at imagined joyrides and road trips. It would have to be kept in secret, of course. The Capitol wouldn't approve. But maybe he could convince them to let him keep it. He could open up a business, drive people in his district to places they wanted to go…

He imagined his two little sisters, bellies full, faces bright. They wouldn't have to skip meals anymore. His business would feed the whole family.

"Mitch!" A loud voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

He reached over and turned off the radio. His mother was standing there, looking quite annoyed.

"I've been standing here yelling your name for a whole minute." She told him, crossing her arms, "Don't you realize what day it is?"

Mitch just stared at her. Then it hit him. The Reaping! "Oops." He muttered.

"Come on. You're not wearing stained overalls to a televised event." She grabbed his arm and led him out of the garage.

* * *

Chat stood among her fellow 14-year olds, looking around nervously. She couldn't seem to find where her family had gone. Even if she stood on tiptoe, she couldn't see past the older kids that stood behind her, separating her from where they kept the family members.

She reached up, brushing at her short platinum blonde hair with her hands, trying not to think about it. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the Reaping began.

The escort, a balding man, droned on about tradition while no one listened. When it was time to choose the names, a nervous silence fell over the crowd. Chat felt like throwing up, but her stomach was empty. It would be over soon…then she could go back to her brother and live with her aunt for another year…

"Chat Darner."

_No._

Her breath caught in her throat.

She felt like crying, but she was aware of many cameras, now aimed in her direction. And Trail, he was watching her too. So, head held high, fists clenched at her sides, she walked stiffly up to the stage. Many faces stared at her, pitying her, yet thankful that they had not been called…

That was when she caught sight of her family. Her aunt, with one arm wrapped around Trail, the other wiping at her tearstained face, and Trail, just staring at her, looking dumbfounded…

Chat bit her lip until it hurt, refusing to break down here, in front of everyone.

"Mitchell Anthony."

She was surprised when they called the next name, too wrapped up in her own misery. Yet, no one came forward.

"Mitchell Anthony? Is he here?"

Peacekeepers were nodding. Everyone had been accounted for.

"Oh!" A voice said exclaimed. Chat saw a tall, brown-haired boy perk up as if he had just realized his name had been called. He was standing among the 17-year olds. "S-Sorry…"

He approached the stage, eyes wide and unseeing. High-pitched wails arose from the back of the crowd as two little girls started crying on the spot. Chat felt a tug of sympathy for them. She was sure she would feel the same way, in their position…

The announcer introduced the two tributes to their district and told them to shake hands.

Chat narrowed her eyes, studying Mitch. He stared back, blue eyes confused, as if he still couldn't believe this was happening. He didn't seem too bright.

_He'll be dead as soon as the countdown ends…_ Chat thought bitterly, releasing his hand, _but I won't. I promise, Trail. I'll come back for you._

**District 7**

She always came here on the day of the Reaping…to the small tree house her father had built for her when she was just a little girl. It held so many memories, memories of better days when she was young and possessed no worries whatsoever. She would climb the tree, slip through the tiny door (a task that was simple since she was incredibly thin) and huddle in the corner of her hideout, soaking in those memories.

Sometimes she wished she could stay there forever. Maybe no one would find her, and she would be safe from the Hunger Games forevermore. But she knew her parents would be devastated, and she had two little sisters to take care of, Taryn and Aliyah…

So she would abandon the tree house and head home to put on her usual black dress for the Reaping. Then she would help her sisters prepare; being 13 and 14 years of age, they wore her hand-me-downs. But they didn't complain.

"Don't be afraid…" Calista told her sisters, as they walked to the Reaping hand-in-hand, "Everything's going to be fine…"

"But our names have been put in there so many times for tesserae…" Taryn said, voice trembling, "Especially yours, Calista."

"I know." Calista admitted, "But if either of your names is called, I'll volunteer for you."

Her sisters looked at her, eyes shining with tears. As they came to the town square, the three girls parted ways to join their respective age groups, Calista praying silently for everything to be all right…

* * *

"Stay. Stay, Hope." Tasi said firmly, holding his hand in front of the Golden Retriever.

The dog watched him with bright eyes as he walked away, to join his fellow 16-year olds in front of the stage. Every year, her master would gather here with others. He always seemed so nervous, and would leave her sitting in a group of strangers while he stood with his own kind. Then, after 15 minutes of this, the crowd would dissolve and Tasi would come back to her. The two would leave the town and go for a romp in the woods, staying there until sunset.

This had been going on for the past four years. It had become part of a routine.

Tasi signed in and took his spot, ready for yet another Reaping. He glanced back. Hope was sitting obediently among the families in their separate section. _Good dog._ He thought to himself.

"Welcome to District 7's 42nd Reaping for the Hunger Games…" A new announcer read, a bit nervously, from a slip of paper. "We'll start with drawing the tribute from the girls…"

The escort reached into a giant bowl filled with slips of paper and pulled one out. She was about to read the chosen tribute's name when a voice shouted out,

"I volunteer!"

Everyone turned and looked at a girl with long, dark hair that was extremely curly. She was standing there, shaking, her bright green eyes wide and alert.

"Calista, no!" A younger girl whispered, looking horrified.

"Oh…w-well, come on up…" The announcer said uncertainly, then mumbled, "I guess we don't need this…" and let the slip of paper drop back into the bowl. Peacekeepers led the girl up to the stage, where they asked for her name.

"Calista Sirrom." She said in a wavering voice.

_Why would she volunteer without even waiting to hear the name of who was reaped? _Tasi wondered. She was obviously frightened, and she definitely wasn't a Career…they were from Districts 1, 2, and 4.

"Well, it's certainly interesting to have a volunteer…" The escort announced, "Let's pick the boy tribute now…"

She reached into the bowl and pulled out another piece of paper. She went to read it, then paused, as if expecting someone to interrupt her. When no one did, she read the name loud and clear:

"Tasi Merkava."

Tasi felt as if he insides were instantly frozen. He couldn't even move. Everything felt so unreal, as if he had suddenly entered into a dream. Sometimes he had nightmares that he had been reaped for the Games; maybe this was one of them.

But then, two Peacekeepers were on him. "Come on," one growled, giving him a rough shove. Thoughts raced through his mind. He wanted to run away. Or maybe he could fight them off. But instead, he found himself walking peacefully in their wake, towards the stage.

A low bark snapped him out of his reverie. He turned to see Hope, on her feet, standing about a dozen yards behind him. Her ears were pricked forward and her whole body was quivering. This wasn't how things were supposed to be. Her Master wasn't supposed to be taken away; they were supposed to leave together and go play in the woods.

Tasi shook his head at her and mouthed, "Stay." If she came rushing at him, the Peacekeepers might think she was dangerous and shoot.

At her master's command, Hope slowly sank back down onto her haunches. Then she watched helplessly as the strange men took her master away from her.

**District 8**

Ash sat outside her house, picking half-heartedly at a stale loaf of bread. She didn't feel hungry…she never felt hungry on Reaping day. She sighed, trying to smooth the wrinkled blouse that was two sizes too big for her. It had belonged to her mother. When she died giving birth to her little brother, Ash had gotten to keep all of her clothes. But no matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't grow into them. There just wasn't enough food on the table.

"Hi Ash." Ash looked up to see her neighbor—a little five-year old boy who was extremely thin. She could see right past the tattered shirt he wore and count every one of his ribs. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." She said, brushing her red hair out of her face and trying to smile, "How are you? You look hungry…here." She stood up, holding the bread out to the little boy. His eyes brightened and he took it from her.

"Thank you." He said softly, nibbling at its stale surface with his tiny teeth. Then he turned away and headed back to his house.

"Sorry we took so long, Ash." A new voice said suddenly. Here came her father, all dressed up for the Reaping, followed by her two brothers, Pinn and Miles. Miles was bouncing along happily, his red hair a complete mess. Pinn, meanwhile, was looking grim. This was his final year of being eligible for the Reaping and he obviously wanted to get it over with.

"It's okay. Let's get going."

They didn't live far from where the stage had been set up. It took no time at all for them to get there and register. Even then, they had time to spare. Ash stood among her age group, which was 15, and idly wondered which two faces would disappear from this district forever.

Finally, the Reaping began.

The escort prattled on about the Dark Days, the Capitol, everything. It was the same thing every year. Until they drew the names…

"As usual, we start with drawing the female tribute…"

Ash held her breath. _Please don't be me. Please don't be me._

"Ash Frustlock."

Her insides fell. She just remained where she was and squeezed her eyes shut to keep the tears from coming. The Peacekeepers guided her up to the stage. Once there, she refused to look out into the crowd for fear of seeing her family's reactions. She bowed her head and kept her eyes glued to the floor as they called the male tribute's name.

"Abbadon Sirus."

For a moment, she wished that it had been her brother they had called. It would have been so comforting to have him here, with her. But she quickly scolded herself for harboring that thought. No one else in her family should have to go through what was coming.

Ash looked up to see her fellow tribute, and what she saw coming down the aisle nearly scared the life out of her. The other tribute was a tall, muscular 18-year old boy with a dark black mohawk and hazel eyes that gleamed dangerously. A jagged scar ran down the left side of his face from the bottom of his eyelid to the end of his chin. He didn't even seem upset about being chosen for slaughter…he was smirking as if he had already won.

_They might as well have him kill me now…_ Ash thought grimly, as he gripped her hand firmly and shook it, …_well, at least if I die, I'll get to see my mother again…_

**District 9**

Cara stared at the girl in the mirror before her. She had dirty blonde hair and midnight blue eyes that were bright and alert. She was looking quite pretty in a forest green dress, with her hair down, enveloping her face in a soft curtain. The girl in the mirror appeared calm on the outside, but Cara knew she was writhing with fear on the inside. She gave herself an optimistic smile, and the girl in the mirror's identical smile comforted her.

She proceeded to slip a locket over her head, the final touch to her outfit. The locket held a picture of her family within. It showed both of her parents, her older brother Carson, and the two young twins, Candis and Carlyle. And herself, of course. With her family close to her heart, she was ready to take on another Reaping.

She patted the locket, securing it into place. Then she went to join her family and head down to the town square. She was the only one who was of age this year. She was thankful that her brother had made it through unscathed, but she wouldn't be able to breathe a sigh of relief until she had made it to the age of 19, along with the twins. Still, she tried to look on the bright side of things. Their family was well off. They didn't have to submit extra names for tesserae. There was a good chance that the Antwip family would never have to bid farewell to one of their own.

As they walked to the Reaping, Carson murmured encouragement to her. "Everything's going to be fine…your name is only in there five times after all."

"I know. Everything's going to be okay." Cara smiled at the twins, who were looking doubtful, but her attitude reassured them that everything would indeed be fine.

Cara parted from her family as they took their places in the back, farthest from the stage. She proceeded to search the crowd for a familiar shock of red hair that belonged to her best friend, Mary. She found her already among their fellow 16-year olds.

"There you are!" Cara said, taking her place next to Mary, "You're so short, I don't even know how I managed to find you!"

Mary narrowed her eyes playfully. She was six inches shorter than Cara, and her friend never let her forget it. "Aw darn it! And here I was thinking I had finally gotten away from you…"

The two laughed. Then suddenly, someone covered Cara's eyes. She jumped in surprise. "Hey! Not funny, Nate!"

Nate let go with a chuckle. She glared at him and gave him a soft punch on the arm. He didn't even seem to notice—he may have been extremely skinny, but underneath those baggy clothes hid the muscles of an athlete. "Couldn't help myself. You looked so unsuspecting." Nate said, eyes shining mischievously.

Cara groaned, "Shouldn't you be in the guy section? You're gonna get us in trouble!"

"Fine, fine. Good luck, you two." As quickly as he had come, he was gone.

"Aw, you guys make such a cute couple!" Mary cooed, holding her face in her hands and batting her eyelashes.

"We're not a couple." Cara mumbled, trying to keep from blushing, "He's like a second big brother to me!"

"That's what they _all_ say."

"Would you two shut up? The Reaping is starting!" A 17-year old behind them hissed. They ignored her, but turned their attention to the stage. The escort was already picking the girl tribute for this year's games. They listened intently, holding their breath…

"This year's tribute is…Carasadni Antwip."

Cara's heart skipped a beat. She turned to look at Mary, who was staring at her in horror. How was this even possible? Only a minute ago, they had been happy, joking around as they always did and…now…

Well, there was nothing she could do. She gave a nod to Mary, then turned and made her way out of the crowd. She walked steadily to the stage, a Peacekeeper on either side of her. As she got up on stage, she forced a weak smile.

Just like the girl in the mirror, she appeared calm and confident. But she knew that she was nothing like the girl in the mirror, because, inside, she was terrified of what was to come.

* * *

Drake watched the female tribute take to the stage and smile at the crowd. _How on earth can she just stand up there and smile?_ He thought to himself, _She must be crazy._

He looked across the aisle towards the girls' section, searching for his girlfriend, Pin. He caught her eye easily; she had been searching for him too. The relief on her face was evident. She was deathly afraid of being chosen for the Games, and had avoided it for another year. He gave her a reassuring smile, and she smiled back.

"Drake Cell."

Drake watched as the smile immediately vanished from her face and was replaced by a look of pure terror. His friends looked in his direction, the same parade of emotions playing across their faces—shock, then sadness mixed with pity.

Tearing his gaze away from his girlfriend, he forced himself to walk out of the crowd and towards the stage, where the announcer told the two tributes to shake hands.

Cara gazed at this boy who was roughly her age. He had messy, dark brown hair, and grey-blue eyes that shone with sadness. She knew she could never kill him in cold blood. Forcing another smile, she extended her right hand towards him.

He hesitated, staring at her hand, as if unsure of what to do. It was then that she noticed his own right hand was no more than a stump.

"Oh! I-I'm so sorry, I didn't…!" She reached up to scratch the back of her head awkwardly, and held out her left hand.

The boy took her hand with his remaining one and shook it, offering her a small smile. "Don't worry about it," He said kindly.

Then the two released one another and turned to face the crowd, each wondering if this would be the last time they ever gazed upon the people of District 9.

**District 10**

"Shem! Are you done yet?" Tyler said, coming out into the pasture where they kept their goats. "You're gonna get hair and slobber all over your outfit, y'know…"

Shem was currently feeding his favorite goat, Cream, an apple while the other goats crowded around, trying to grab a bite. "You know I like to come out here and see them every Reaping day…just in case I don't come back…" Shem told his brother, stroking Cream's coarse fur.

"Well, this is your last year…you've made it this far…" Tyler said, his voice quavering slightly. It was clear he was nervous. He was 14, after all, and had a couple more years to suffer through.

"Okay," Shem said, standing up and brushing hair off his clothes, "Let's go."

The two brothers joined their parents and headed down to the Reaping. The goats stood on their hind legs, peering morosely over the fence as their owners left without them.

While Shem bid his goats farewell, a girl named Olivia was doing the same with her own animals. She lived on a farm a few miles from him that specialized in horses, but also contained other livestock such as cows and sheep. She lived with her two parents and a younger sister. Theirs was a wealthy family that never went hungry.

At the moment, Olivia was wearing a purple blouse that complimented her fiery red hair. It was becoming slightly dirtied as she leaned over an old fence, stroking her favorite stallion, Silver Thunder.

"I'll be home soon, Silver." She promised, hugging the dappled gray horse around his neck. He nickered softly, as if to say, "I'll wait for you here."

Giving him one last pat on the head, she reluctantly left with her family to go to the Reaping. As they weaved among the many people that were attending, she was aware of some boys, around her age, looking at her. With her red hair, bright green eyes, and tanned skin, she stood out among the girls of her district. The fact that she was tall and a bit muscular from working on the farm also contributed to her uniqueness.

But she was just too busy for a boyfriend. At least, that's what she told herself. The truth was, she was afraid to get close to anyone, fearing that they wouldn't accept her for who she was.

So she ignored the stares from others and signed in without talking to anyone. Before they parted ways, she and her sister, Dahlia, hugged one another for good luck. Just as they always did. Then she slipped in among the 16-year olds and made small talk with the others until the Reaping began.

"It's tradition to start with the female tributes," The escort said hurriedly, as if he had somewhere else he would have liked to be, "Let's see here…this year's tribute is Olivia Rohaki."

Dahlia, a few rows in front of her, whipped around, looking panicked. The two sisters stared at one another, wide-eyed, at a loss for words. Olivia hadn't been prepared at all. She always thought there was little to no chance of her name being called. After all, she never needed tesserae. Her name was only in the bowl five times.

_I shouldn't have been so stupid…_ Olivia thought, as Peacekeepers led her to the stage, _I should have acknowledged the slim chance of my name being called…_ She could feel tears pooling in her eyes, but she blinked them away. She had to suppress her emotions—she had to appear strong to her family.

She threw her head back, gazing challengingly at the stage before her. She climbed up the steps, and then stood there, looking coolly at the crowd. The escort, with a satisfied nod, proceeded to pull the name of the male tribute.

"Shem Dog."

A tall boy came walking unsteadily from the back of the crowd, where the 18-year olds were put. He had short, brown hair, green eyes, and was of medium build. He wasn't extremely intimidating, but Olivia quietly acknowledged that you could never judge someone too soon…

**District 11**

_Here we are in District Eleven_

_Closest place there is to heaven_

_Up in the trees we spend the day_

_Singing and dancing, no work and all play_

Caden couldn't help but laugh at the irony of the song he was singing. He, along with his five brothers and sisters, had made up the tune to keep them occupied as they harvested peaches in the orchard. The work was hard, involving a lot of climbing and gathering. There wasn't a day where Caden wasn't sore all over. But that didn't keep him from singing and dancing the day away as he slaved over his job.

As the sun set, the trees cast long shadows throughout the orchard, signaling the end of another tough day. Their father came to collect them and they all headed home together.

"Can we sing some more tomorrow?" Caden's littlest sister asked sleepily. Her dad was carrying her in his arms; usually, at the end of a workday, she was so tired that she could barely stand. Since she was the youngest, everyone always babied her. Even though his mother had died giving birth to her, Caden still loved her dearly.

"Tomorrow's the Reaping," Caden told her gently, "There won't be any work tomorrow."

Everyone was quiet at these words. All of their names were going to be in this year's Reaping. It was a bad year for the Amaranths.

"How many times is your name in it, Caden…?" The second oldest brother, Tylar, asked quietly.

Caden paused. With their big family, they were always putting in for tesserae. His father had forced him to put in for more tesserae in place of his younger siblings. His father obviously favorited his little sister, and didn't want to lose her, as they had lost their mother. Thus, Caden had his name in the bowl more times than anyone else in his family.

"Twenty-eight." He responded calmly.

* * *

"Do you want to, I don't know, um, maybe hang out after the Reaping is over today?" The nervous boy stammered, looking at Julia with pleading eyes.

Julia reached up and brushed her auburn hair out of her eyes, frowning. "Oh, I don't know…I might have to go work the fields…I'm pretty busy today…"

"But…!" The boy protested, looking downcast. It was common knowledge that no one worked on Reaping day. She was so obviously lying and she knew it.

Julia smiled sheepishly. The boy was pretty cute, short, with brown hair that matched his chocolate brown eyes. But he wasn't her type at all. She liked handsome, confident guys that weren't afraid to flirt. "How about I get back to you on that?" She said quickly. Not bothering to hear the boy's response, she turned away to join the 15-year olds that were beginning to gather before the stage.

"Hey Julia." A few familiar faces greeted her.

"Hey," She responded, starting up a conversation with those around her. The announcer started talking about the tradition of the Hunger Games, as she did every year, but no one bothered to listen. Julia carried on her conversation with those nearest to her, currently complaining about a certain teacher who gave them way too much homework, when a Peacekeeper snapped at her to be quiet.

Julia shut her mouth, glaring at the Peacekeeper. She hated these guards with a passion, ever since her mother had stupidly run away with one, abandoning her father and two daughters. "As I was saying…" Julia continued to the girl next to her, even more loudly, "How does she expect us to do all that homework when we have jobs working the—"

"Julia Stark."

"What-?" She looked at the announcer in surprise, thinking she was in trouble for talking so much. "…Sorry. I'll shut up." A few people snickered around her.

"Um…you've been selected as tribute." The escort said, frowning at her over a pair of large glasses.

She just stood there, staring at the escort as if she had misheard her.

"Come on, let's go!" The angry Peacekeeper snapped, coming up from behind her and shoving her in the direction of the stage.

"Hey!" Julia protested, pulling away from him, "I can walk by myself!"

She knew she should feel afraid, but she only felt anger. She stood up on stage, stewing in her rage as they called the next tribute.

"Caden Amaranth."

The one called Caden came to the stage with much less of a hassle. He was short and skinny, with black, curly hair and light brown skin. Julia withdrew from her anger and observed him as he shook her hand. He didn't look extremely strong, and he wasn't much of a looker, but he was her fellow tribute. He would have to do.

**District 12**

_Dad…_

Carson found himself standing in a dark mine shaft, his father at his side, smiling at him through a mask of coal dust. He reached forward and patted his son on the shoulder. But suddenly, as if in slow motion, rocks came crashing down around them. His dad just stood there, still smiling…

_Dad, run!_ Carson tried to scream, but choked on dust from the rocks that were falling, separating him from his father. He fell to the ground, blinded, and unable to breathe. _Someone help…! _He thought frantically, trying to fill his lungs with air.

An old man just stood there, watching him suffocate. He reached out towards him. _Help me!_ He screamed inwardly. But the old man just shook his head sadly, turned, and walked away, leaving him to die…

Carson awoke in a cold sweat, gasping. He was relieved to find his lungs being filled with clean air, rather than the dust from his dream.

It had been three years since his father had died in that mining accident, but he still had nightmares almost every week. After all, he had been down there with him when it happened. He was one of two survivors…the other being an elderly man who lived down the street from him. They hadn't spoken since the incident.

Since then, Carson had done his best to look after his mother, and his two little brothers who held him in such high regard. _I'm not someone to look up to._ Carson thought with a pang of regret, reaching under his bed for the bottle of liquor he kept hidden there.

He wasn't half the man his father was. He wasn't strong. He couldn't deal with his problems, and chose to constantly drown them in alcohol. He also secretly smoked pot, when he could get his hands on it. It helped him to briefly forget his sorry excuse of a life.

* * *

_Time for yet another Reaping…where did the year go?_ Ellis thought sadly, sighing as she waited in line to sign in.

A year ago, her brother had been killed in the Games. He had always been there to look out for her, in place of her parents she had never met, but now he was gone. She missed him dearly, living a lonely life by herself in an abandoned shack at the edge of the district. No one seemed to notice, or care, and she liked it that way. She often went hungry, but had made it a whole year on her own. She was capable of surviving whatever life threw at her.

She listened quietly as they began the Reaping. As usual, it was ladies first. A frail-looking 12-year old was chosen. She started crying on the spot, shaking so bad that she looked as if she would fall over. Peacekeepers tried to get her to move. She wouldn't, and they began to haul her up to the stage, quite unceremoniously.

"Mommy!" The child cried out pathetically, reaching her arms towards the crowd, struggling to free herself from the grip of the Peacekeepers. "Mommy!"

Ellis felt as if she wanted to start crying with her. Before she knew what she was doing, she had called out, "I volunteer!" Everyone looked at her in shock. The little girl ceased her pitiful wailing and looked at her 14-year old replacement in surprise.

_Why shouldn't I volunteer?_ Ellis thought to herself, stepping forward, _I have no family, nothing left to live for…I might as well do it._ The Peacekeepers released the child and had the two girls switch places. As they passed by one another, the little girl threw herself at Ellis and wrapped her skinny arms around her waist.

It was only for a brief moment, though, because the Peacekeepers had to hurry her along. Ellis took to the stage, where they asked for her name.

"Ellis Cade," She said evenly, then added silently, _and I'm here to avenge my brother…_

* * *

Carson watched the Reaping with interest. He had kept away from his liquor this morning so that he could be alert for the Reaping. And it was proving to be quite an interesting one—District 12 rarely ever got volunteers.

"Now for the male tributes…" The escort said, reaching into the bowl and snatching up a slip of paper, "…Bentley Rivera!"

Bentley?

…His brother had been chosen as tribute for the 42nd Hunger Games.

"No!" He cried out, shoving through the 16-year old boys that surrounded him on every side, "No, you can't take my brother…I volunteer instead!"

"W-well this is certainly exciting!" The escort stammered into the microphone, "Two volunteers from District 12! What are the odds?"

"Carson…!" Bentley protested, as Carson ran up and put his hands on his shoulders.

"Bentley, I'm not gonna let you do this. You're my little bro. It's my job to look after you." Carson said, speaking quickly.

"Come on, son. You can say goodbye to your brother later. Get up on stage." A Peacekeeper told him firmly.

Carson nodded bravely and did as he said. Bentley watched him go, face wreathed in pain and sorrow as he watched his brother throw away his own life for his sake...

"And what's your name?" The announcer asked, holding out the microphone.

"Carson Anthony Rivera." Carson replied, speaking clearly into the microphone. He looked purposefully at his two younger brothers. Their eyes were wide and scared. Carson sighed deeply, tearing his gaze away from them and going to shake hands with his opponent.

_I may not be someone to look up to…but I promise I won't let you down._

**Up next are the goodbyes, the train rides where the tributes get to know one another, and then we get into the festivities. **

**I had an alternate song for the Amaranth family to sing, but I didn't think anyone would take it seriously. Here's what it was going to be: Iiiiin District Eleven, born and raised, in the orchard's where I spend most of my days! Chillin out, relaxin, with mah homie G's, and pickin some peaches out in the trees.**


	3. Goodbyes

**District 1**

After leaving the stage, Hip had been taken into the Justice Building and put into a separate room from Channa. This was where the families came to say goodbye to their loved ones. Hip didn't have any parents or siblings that would come to bid him farewell; but he didn't care. He lived a fine life with his aunt and uncle, who loved him as if he were their own.

And sure enough, here they came. They walked through the door with their son, Rhutter, trailing behind them. Rhutter was Hip's cousin, as well as his best friend.

"Your parents would be proud of you." Hip's uncle said, as they both looked at him kindly.

"They better be." Hip said, smirking, then turning his attention to Rhutter, who had a suspicious lump underneath his jacket. That had not been there this morning. Hip frowned. "You expecting…?"

At the sound of his voice, a large white ball of fluff burst out of the confines of Rhutter's jacket and landed in Hip's lap, purring. "Puff!" Hip exclaimed, running his fingers through the large cat's soft fur, "You snuck him in! Thanks so much!" He grinned widely as Puff proceeded to reach up and rub his face all over Hip's nose.

"Yeah…they don't allow animals in the Justice Building. But whatever." Rhutter shrugged.

"Aw man, I'm gonna miss you so much!" Hip exclaimed, "I promise that after I win, I'll buy you a lifetime supply of tuna."

"Aww, I'll miss you too, dude." Rhutter said, "But why would you buy me…oh, you're talking to the cat."

"Be safe, Hip." Hip's aunt said, coming forward to give him a hug. Her eyes were slightly misty. "It's been great…having you around all these years…just…" Her voice wavered and she stopped talking, pressing a hand to her mouth.

"Come back in one piece." His uncle finished, putting a hand on his adopted son's shoulder.

"I'll do more than that—I'll come back with a load of cash and a lovely Capitol lady hanging off my arm!" He chuckled, completely destroying the mood.

"That…what's her name—Champagne?—was pretty hot." Rhutter said, nudging his friend, giving him a wink.

Hip smiled wryly. "Yeah. Too bad she's gonna be rotting in her grave while I enjoy my winnings, huh?"

Suddenly, the door opened and Peacekeepers marched in. Rhutter hurriedly stuffed Puff back into his jacket. Then his adopted family was led out. Hip watched them go, feeling no sense of remorse whatsoever. He felt confident that he would return to them in no time at all, as winner of the 42nd Hunger Games.

* * *

"Channaaaa!" "EEEEEEEE!"

Channa's whole family was squealing excitedly in the room they had been given, so much that a Peacekeeper had to poke his head in and tell them to keep it down. After that, they calmed down enough to hold an actual conversation.

"I can't believe my baby girl is going to be the champion of the Hunger Games!" Channa's mother sobbed, hugging her daughter tight. "I'm so proud of you!"

"I'm not the champion yet," Channa pointed out, struggling to breathe, "But I will be."

"And then we'll be the richest family in all of the districts!" Her father announced triumphantly. The entire family couldn't help but burst into another round of cheering.

"You looked like such an idiot when you volunteered for yourself!" Chardonnay said, trying to provoke an argument, as usual. But there was nothing that could spoil her sister's good mood.

Channa laughed, "Maybe I did, but it was nothing compared to that boy getting punched in the face." Everyone chuckled in agreement.

"I can't wait for the Games to start!" Dionysus said, "You're going to make the Bordeaux family proud, sis. That's for sure!"

"I know, I know." Channa beamed.

A Peacekeeper knocked on the door, saying they had one more minute. Channa hugged each member of her family as they all gushed about how excited they were to see her win the Games. Then they were taken away and Channa was left to herself.

**District 2**

"You're going to win, aren't you, Bridon? You're going to avenge your brother?"

"Sure." Bridon said, feeling irritated. His mother would always ask him that, but he had no desire to avenge anyone. Ever since he was a child, he had been raised not to care. Forming attachments could only hold you back…make you weak…

"Remember," His father told him, "Join with the Career pack for the first half of the games. With all your skills combined, survival will be a breeze and you can take down a lot of the weaker tributes. But when things start to wind down, kill them before they kill you."

"I know." Bridon said, nodding. His father had told him this over and over—after all, it was how he had become the victor so long ago.

"You're going to be great, son."

Both of his parents came close and hugged him. He hugged them back, but he felt nothing. The excitement he had felt was gone; he felt no remorse leaving either. He had pushed away all of his emotions for the time being.

The only thing that mattered now was keeping his eye on the prize…

* * *

In another room, not far from Bridon's, Sienna's father was giving her the exact same advice.

"Earn their trust. Wait until you have watch at night. And then do it quietly." He told her in a hushed voice, as if someone might be listening.

She stared intently into his eyes, nodding her head slowly.

When he was finished, he pulled her close. "I know you're going to win, Snow White. I've known it ever since…" He trailed off, but she knew what he was referring to. Ever since they had lost the rest of their family. Sen and Brodie. Ann-Marie.

"Thanks for everything." She murmured, thinking of the many hours they had spent training together. Her father was the most important person in her life. She owed everything to him. He had made her who she was.

They hugged one another even tighter, and sat there in silence until a Peacekeeper appeared and told them it was time to go.

**District 3**

Jack fidgeted uncomfortably, alone in the room they had brought him to. It was cold and he felt utterly alone. He had tried the door, and of course it was locked, so all he could do was sit and wait for his parents to come say goodbye.

It was then that he spotted a clock. It was a clock that either he or his parents had made, and it was hanging by the door on the wall. He felt immensely comforted by its presence, until he noticed that it was smudged.

He grabbed a chair and dashed across the room with it. Then he climbed on top of it and tried to wipe the smudge away with his hand, but it refused to budge. He tried to grab the end his shirt, but he couldn't get it up high enough to reach the clock, so he just took it off. He wiped at the clock feverishly until the smudge was gone.

"Jack…why is your shirt off?"

Jack jumped in surprise. His parents had walked in while he had been cleaning the clock, and were now frowning at his peculiar behavior.

"Mom…Dad…!" He whimpered.

"Oh, Jack…"

He leaped off the chair and into a loving embrace with his parents. He sniffled loudly, trying not to totally lose it. They held him close, soothing him.

"You're fast, Jack." His mother told him, "I'll bet that you're the fastest one there. Just run, and they'll never be able to catch you…"

"Okay." Jack said, wiping his face, "I will."

* * *

Gadgette could not stop crying, no matter how hard she tried. The tears just kept on coming, refusing to cease their endless flow. _I don't want to die…_ She thought, fear threatening to consume her.

When Gizmoe came through the door with her parents, she practically threw herself at them. For a minute, they all just held one another. The only sound that penetrated the room was their collective sobbing.

Once they had all quieted down, Gizmoe spoke. "I wish I could have volunteered for you…" He whispered, holding his sister close.

Gadgette shook her head fiercely, "I…wouldn't have let you…" She managed to choke out in a shaky voice.

"Gadgette, we love you so much." Her father said in a husky voice, stroking her hair, "Never forget that."

"Honey…" Her mother started to say something, but she couldn't.

They went back to just holding one another and crying freely. It seemed far too soon when the Peacekeeper came and told them they had to go. He started corral the family out the door, but Gizmoe broke away and ran back into the room.

He flung his arms around his sister, and she could see the tears streaming down his face. "I'll always be with you." He promised.

Then the Peacekeeper tore him away from her and he was gone. The door shut behind them and Gadgette was left alone once more.

**District 4**

Frederick didn't have any parents. He didn't know what happened to them, but ever since he was a boy, he had lived with his Uncle Erasmus. He was the one who had taught him how to fish and promoted the idea of joining the Hunger Games.

Now, he came to say a quick farewell to him.

"You're going to be fine." He told him, giving him a confident pat on the back. "I have faith in you. You're well-prepared."

"Thanks Erasmus." Frederick said quietly. He shared his uncle's confidence. He felt more ready now than ever.

"Well, I'd better get going. You're girlfriend wanted to come say goodbye too." He gave his adopted son a quick wink and left the room. He definitely felt sure that they would see one another again.

_Oh great…_ Frederick sighed quietly; _I wonder which girl is trying to pass herself off as my girlfriend now…?_

To his surprise, Chelsea came walking through the door. Her face was red. She had obviously been crying. Once she was in the room, she paused and looked him up and down, quiet for once in her life. Then she spoke:

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"…I didn't need to."

"I'm your friend, aren't I?"

"Yes." Frederick suddenly felt guilty. He just didn't want anyone to know. Was that so selfish of him, to keep it a secret? She was making far too big a deal out of it.

Chelsea lowered her eyes. She looked as if she were going to start crying again. "…Just promise me that you'll come back."

He grabbed her chin and tilted it upwards so that she was forced to look into his deep green eyes. "I promise." He said as seriously as he could.

She pulled away. "Okay." A small smile was playing at the edge of her lips. "I'm going to hold you to that promise, Mister!"

Frederick smiled, feeling amused. There was that flash of her old spirit that had been missing when she walked through the door. He bid his best friend farewell after that, and began to prepare his mind for what lay ahead…

* * *

Bassin was shaking violently, despite her family's attempts to comfort her.

"I never wanted to be apart of the Hunger Games." She kept saying, "I thought someone else would volunteer. I never excelled at training. I'm horrible with all weapons."

"No, you're not!" Her brother said firmly, "I've seen what you can do with a hammer. If you could get your hands on one, I bet you'd have a fighting chance."

She shook her head in denial.

"Stop arguing." One of her sisters pleaded, clinging tightly to her arm.

"She's right." Bassin's father said quietly, "After all, this may be the last time you see your sister…"

Bassin's heart fell at his words. _My own family doesn't believe in me…_ But she didn't blame them. She was a pathetic excuse of a Career.

As she watched them file out of the room, leaving her behind, she had to remind herself once more that it was all a dream.

**District 5**

Cole was led to a room in the Justice Building and left there to wait for his family. He sat in a chair and buried his face in his hands, just letting his mind go blank. He looked up when he heard the sound of the door opening. In came his mother and his younger brother. He silently wished that his father could be here for him…

"Cole…" His mother murmured tearfully, hugging him.

"Don't be sad, Mom." He told her, keeping his voice level. It took all of his strength not to start crying. "I might not be here to take care of you anymore, but I'm sure you'll be fine…"

"I can't lose you…not after losing your father so recently…" She whispered into his hair, clutching to him tightly.

"I'm going to try to win so I can come back to you." He said gently, "But if not, I'll go to dad in heaven. And we'll watch over you, together." He spoke strongly, without so much as a quiver in his voice, but they couldn't see the tears that were rolling down his face.

* * *

While Cassia sat alone in her room, all she could think about was the way her older sister had died in the Games a few years before. It had been so gory, so terrifying. The amount of blood that had been spilt had seeped into her dreams for months afterwards.

Now, it was her turn…

In came her parents and her three younger brothers. They were looking especially grim, having just done this not long ago…there wasn't much hope in their eyes.

"Don't look so excited." Cassia mumbled, but was unable to keep the sadness out of her voice.

Her father proceeded to wrap his strong arms around her and she welcomed his comforting warmth.

"Come home, okay, Cassia?" Her littlest brother practically begged.

"I'll try." She told him, but she knew it was useless. She was only 12 years old. She had no chance whatsoever of coming home.

**District 6**

Left alone in his waiting room, Mitch let his mind wander about the Games. He thought about the festivities and recounted everything he had seen on TV in the past. By the time his family came through the door, he was pondering if he could somehow sneak his car into the arena and run over all the tributes.

"Mitch!" His two sisters cried out, snapping him out of his daze. They ran to him and hugged him, tears streaming down their faces.

"Aw, don't cry you two." He soothed, rubbing his hands up and down their backs, "Everything's going to be fine."

"Just try your best, okay?" His mother sobbed, hiding her face in a handkerchief.

"I will. You'll see. I'm going to build a car, and I'll just drive it around. No one will be able to touch me. And if they do, I'll run'em over!"

His sisters smiled a bit, but his parents didn't look convinced. Even he couldn't build a car from scratch.

As they were led out by the Peacekeepers, Mitch's mother murmured to her husband, "I just hope he gets out of that dream world he's living in so he can have a fighting chance."

* * *

"Sis!" Trail cried out, flinging himself at Chat as soon as he was let into the room, "I missed you!"

"Jeez, Trail, it's only been fifteen minutes." Chat snorted, but welcomed him into her arms. She looked over his shoulder to where her aunt was standing. She was still crying. "You'll look after him for me, won't you Auntie?" She asked quietly.

Her aunt nodded mutely.

"Good. Now Trail, do you remember that snare I showed you?"

Trail let go of Chat and backed away with wide eyes. "I think so…"

"Well, it's the simplest of the traps I've shown you how to set. If you can master that, I think you can catch enough food for both you and Auntie. Okay?"

"Okay." Trail agreed. "But you'll come back, won't you?"

Chat smiled sadly. "I'm gonna try. After all, I have to come back to take care of you."

"Yeah…you better!" Trail choked out, his eyes filling with tears. He wrapped his arms around his older sister one last time. "You better come back, Sis!"

"I will." She whispered, closing her eyes to hold back the tears.

Only after her brother left did she bury her face in her hands and let them flow freely.

**District 7**

Tasi sat alone in his room, wishing so desperately that they allowed dogs in the Justice Building. Hope was probably still sitting in the same position, waiting for him to return to her. She had always been so loyal, ever since he had found her, and now he was abandoning her. If only he could explain it to her. But now, he might never see her again…

The door clicked open and Tasi blinked with surprise as his lumber boss walked in. He was smiling, but there was an unmistakable sadness in his eyes.

"…Dad?" Tasi whispered.

He didn't think he would come. After all, he wasn't his true father. His true father had abandoned him when he was only 5, as a sort of punishment for killing his mother. As if it were his fault….Luckily, the boss of District 7's lumber yard found him and took him in.

"Tasi." His adopted father said, taking a seat next to him, "I know you're strong, and I know you're going to put up a good fight in these Games. But in case you don't make it back, I want you to know…I'm proud to call you my son."

"And I'm proud to call you my dad." Tasi responded. The two embraced. When they let go, he asked his boss if he would take care of Hope for him. "She's almost 10 years old…she's getting up there in age…" He said sadly. It felt so painful to admit it.

"Anything for you, son." His boss said, reaching up to pat him on the shoulder fondly. "Good luck. I'll be rooting for you all the way."

After he was gone, Tasi felt as if he were being consumed with grief. But suddenly, a deep rage burned deep within him. He hated the Hunger Games. He hated how they forced innocent kids to fight to the death. And he hated them for stealing his life away from him.

* * *

"Calista, why would you do that? They hadn't even read the name yet! It probably wasn't even someone you knew!"

Her father was yelling at her, extremely upset by her actions. The rest of her family just stared at her, faces dripping with tears.

"I don't know…" Calista said softly, "I just couldn't stop myself…what if it had been Taryn? Or Aliyah?"

"What if it hadn't?" Her father retaliated. "How could you just throw everything away?"

"I'm sorry!" Calista said, her green eyes brimming with tears, "But it's too late to change anything now. I've already volunteered, haven't I?"

Her father stopped screaming at her and suddenly looked very tired. "Yes…you're right, it's too late. I'm sorry. I just don't want to lose you."

"We love you, Calista." Taryn whimpered.

"Be careful." Aliyah agreed.

Everyone moved in for a group hug. Calista gave in to her sadness and began to cry. She was so upset and angry at herself for her actions. _Why did I do that…? _She wailed inwardly, _How could I tear my family apart like this…?_

**District 8**

No one came to visit Abbadon.

But he didn't care. He just kicked back and relaxed, letting his mind wander.

Maybe if he hadn't left his family as such a young age, they would be here for him now. But there was no way he could have stayed—not with the way his father abused him. Back then, he had lived every day in fear. Then one day, he plucked up the courage and left.

Sometimes he regretted leaving like that. He wondered if giving up the fight had made him a coward. But living there was torture. The scar that ran down his face proved that. How could he have gone on any longer?

_Well, whatever._ He thought to himself, smirking, _I'm apart of the Hunger Games now. I'll show those fools that I'm no coward._

* * *

Ash just quietly cried when her family came to visit her. They tried to comfort her, but it was no use.

"Ash, you have great survival skills. You're good at running, climbing, and you can identify every single plant we have around these parts." Pinn reminded her.

"As if any of that will help me." Ash said bitterly.

"Shoot someone with an arrow!" Miles suggested.

"If I can get my hands on one…" She sighed.

"Just have hope." Her father said, brushing away her bangs that always hid her eyes. "We won't be there for you, but I'm sure your mother will be watching you every step of the way."

Ash nodded mutely, her throat closing up at the thought of her mother. _I hope so._

**District 9**

Drake was the only child of a solo mother. When she came to see him, she was a mess. The very thought of losing her only son, as well as her only family member, was just too much to bear. Drake ended up comforting her, instead of the other way around.

At one point, there was a soft knock on the door. It opened and there stood Pin, his girlfriend.

"Oh…I'm sorry, I hope I'm not interrupting…"

"No, please come in." Drake said, smiling.

She walked over and sat down next to him, weaving her arms around his own arm that ended in a stump. She stroked the nub lightly with a thumb. "You're going to be okay, aren't you?" She asked quietly.

"I will." Drake promised, "Already my brilliant mind is formulating a plan."

"Drake…" His mother started to say, "This isn't time for one of your jokes…"

"No, Mom, really." He said seriously.

"What is it?" Pin asked, curious.

A grin played at the edge of his lips. He leaned over and gave her a light peck on the cheek. "You'll just have to wait and find out."

* * *

When Cara's large family, consisting of three siblings and two parents, came to visit her, it was nonstop noise. They cried, bashed the Capitol, and gave her encouragement. Through it all, she sat there calmly, hands folded in her lap, her eyes free from tears.

When she could finally make herself heard, she told them, "I just want you all to know that I love you so much…and I'm just so thankful for having the chance to live my life. Really. Even if it meant dying in the Hunger Games, I would never give this life up."

Her mother was sobbing uncontrollably. Even the men of her family had tears flooding their face. But through it all, she stayed optimistic.

"Even if I lose, no one can say I didn't try my best!" She called after them as Peacekeepers took them away.

Barely a minute later, her two best friends, Mary and Nate, entered the room. Mary was instantly at her side, hugging her.

"Cara…" She sobbed, "I swear to God, if you die out there, I will kill you!"

Cara patted Mary's head, chuckling. Then she looked past her friend at Nate, who was standing back a couple of feet. The pain was clear on his face. Suddenly, she just wanted to throw herself into his arms and make his pain go away. He had always been there for her, and she had always thought of him as a second brother. But could they have become more than just friends, if given the chance?

_But now I'll never know…_ Cara thought sadly, as her two friends were escorted out of the room, _Not unless I come back…_

**District 10**

Shem's family, as close as they were, mourned deeply for their son.

Tyler just kept saying, "I always thought you'd make it through…I always thought I'd be the one that would end up being reaped, and I dreaded it. I never thought…"

"It's okay," Shem told him, "I have a feeling I can win this thing."

His parents just stared at him with sad faces. They didn't share his optimism, and neither did his brother.

"But the Career tributes…they're such monsters." Tyler protested, thinking of past games, "They'll kill you as soon as they look at you."

"I'm fast," Shem argued, "I'll bet you anything I can get my hands on a weapon before they do. Then I can get out of there, and focus on surviving. I won't be just another bloodbath tribute." He spoke with such confidence; it was hard to doubt him.

"I hope you're right." Tyler said quietly.

Shem watched his family leave the room, determination swelling inside him like a balloon. He was going to give it his all. He would return to his family, no matter what.

* * *

"You don't even look upset." Dahlia noted, as her family gathered around Olivia to say goodbye.

"Of course I'm upset." Olivia responded. She felt as if she would start crying at any moment, but she kept herself from doing so. She didn't want her family's last memory to be of her bawling her eyes out.

"I'll take care of Silver Thunder for you…" Dahlia said, starting to cry, "Just in case…just in case…!" She couldn't even finish.

"Thank you." Olivia whispered, squeezing Dahlia's hand in a comforting gesture.

"Olivia," Her father said to her, his voice cracking with grief, "I never told you this, but…thank you. I never gave you the respect you deserved. When I fell ill and you worked the horse farm all by yourself…all I would say to you is, "this is men's' work, you can't handle it." Yet, you never once gave up. Thank you." He covered his face with a hand and looked away, trembling. Olivia's mother wrapped a consoling arm around her husband.

"Thanks, Dad." Olivia said quietly, "That's all I ever wanted to hear."

He nodded, unable to speak.

"And I'm not going to give up on winning the Games either," She went on, her eyes burning with a fierce determination, "I'm strong, I'm smart, and I'm not afraid to take down anyone who's in my way!"

**District 11**

Left alone in a room that felt more like a cell, Caden closed his eyes and started humming the song he sang in the orchard every evening. It was soothing and calmed his nerves. It almost felt as if he were back among the peach trees, taking a quick snooze in the sweet-smelling branches of his favorite tree. But then he opened his eyes, and he was back in this dark, cold room.

Luckily he didn't have long to wait until his large family came to visit him. His littlest sister ran forward and clung to him, sniffling. "I wanted to volunteer for you, but they wouldn't let me!"

"Don't say that, Honey." Her father said sternly, "Caden is making a sacrifice for you. He put in extra tesserae so you wouldn't have to."

"Yeah…I should have figured I would get picked sooner or later…" Caden said dryly, feeling livid that his father had played a part in throwing his life away.

"We're going to miss you." Tylar said quietly. "It's not going to be the same without you."

And it was true. With him gone, the orchard would be a lot quieter. He would no longer be there to lead them in song or start up a dance. But Caden was unhappy with his life at the moment, and didn't take too kindly to Tylar's words.

"We're a big family. You won't even notice I'm gone in a month or so."

"That's not true!" His littlest sister burst out, with sudden fervor, "You're going to win! I just know you are!"

Caden looked away, avoiding everyone's gaze as they waited for his response. "…I just hope you're right." Was all he could manage.

* * *

Julia was surprised when her younger sister was the only one that walked through the door that afternoon. "Where's Dad?" She asked.

"We ran into the Peacekeeper that Mommy ran off with. He said, "I guess you're destined to lose all of the women in your life, eh?" Then Daddy punched him."

Julia's heart fell when she heard this. Now she wouldn't get to say goodbye to her father; they had probably taken him away somewhere to be whipped. At the same time, she couldn't deny that she felt a certain sense of satisfaction. "Tell him I said goodbye. And good job."

"Okay." Both of them couldn't help but smile a little. "Julia…thanks for being there all these years. You were more of a mother than _she_ ever was."

"Aww…you don't know how happy it makes me to hear that…" She pulled her sister in close and they sat like that for a long time. Finally, it was time to go.

"Take care of Dad," Julia said, reluctantly letting her go, "You're the new woman of the house now."

Her sister nodded, and then she was gone. No one else came to visit her. Julia was left wondering if she would ever see her again, and if her father would be all right. Then the Peacekeepers appeared, telling her that it was time to go, and led her out of the room.

**District 12**

"You have five minutes."

Bentley came rushing into the room, looking scared. Ronnie was right behind him. Their mother followed more slowly, looking extremely worn out.

"Why would you do that?" Bentley practically demanded.

"I already told you," Carson sighed, exasperatedly, "You're my little brother and it's my job to look after you. That includes taking your place in a life or death situation if I can."

"But…what are we gonna do without you…?" Ronnie asked, eyes wide.

"Well, finish school before you go to work in the mines." Carson told them in all seriousness, "And don't do drugs. Or drink before you're of age." _I am such a hypocrite…_ He thought, feeling pathetic. But he didn't want his two brothers to chose the path he had taken himself.

Ronnie was nodding with each tidbit of advice that came his way. Bentley just stared at Carson, almost accusingly. But what he said next surprised everyone.

"Someday…I'm gonna be as strong as you."

Carson looked at him, smiling sorrowfully. "No. You're going to be even stronger." With that, he scooped up his two brothers into his arms and held them close. For what, he acknowledged, could be the last time in his life.

* * *

No one came to visit Ellis while she was in her room either. She sat quietly in a chair, waiting for them to come take her away. It didn't take long before a Peacekeeper came and led her back outside. There, she came upon the train that would take her to the Capitol.

"Come on," The Peacekeeper told her, motioning for her to get on board, "It's time for you to depart."


	4. Train Rides

**District 1**

When Hip boarded the train, he was surprised to see the other tribute was already on. She was sitting by the window, waving to the crowd that had gathered. He took a moment to observe her. She was extremely beautiful; there was no denying it. Her skin was unblemished, sun-kissed to the color of caramel. She had a nice body too, and shining brown hair that fell down her back in waves.

The corner of Hip's mouth curled into a lopsided smirk. He sauntered over and sat down across from her, just as the train started up. As it picked up speed and District 1 was left in the dust, she turned to face him, looking him up and down as he had just done to her.

"Hello." She smiled delicately, gazing at him from underneath her long eyelashes.

"Hey." Hip grinned and winked. "Champagne, right?"

"_Chan_pagne." She corrected, running her fingers through her hair, "But please call me Channa. Hip, right?"

"Right." He tipped his head to the side, his golden-brown eyes soft with admiration. "You're awfully pretty, aren't you?"

"I am." Channa laughed, "But I think I'm a little old for you. You're only 15 and I'm 17."

"Age is just a number." Hip said, raising one eyebrow, "Besides, I'm turning 16 in less than three weeks."

"Sure you are." Channa responded, rolling her eyes. "If you don't mind celebrating your birthday in hell."

"Ouch." Hip recoiled, as if she had slapped him across the face. But a good-humored smile still played on his lips. "Actually, if I'm going to be dead, I want to celebrate it in heaven with my parents…see, they died when I was young and I never even met them…" He sighed and looked away, shaking his head sadly.

"Oh…I'm sorry." She said, her expression softening. A moment of silence passed between them. Hip let out a sudden bark of laughter. Channa stared at him, looking flustered. "What's wrong with _you_?"

"I never met my parents, but I couldn't care less." Hip shrugged nonchalantly, "I just pretend to be sad about it. It's fun to see people's reactions and listen to their apologies."

"Oh. Well then, it's a good thing I was only pretending to be sorry." Channa huffed, tossing her hair.

Hip looked highly entertained. "Then I'll pretend to forgive you."

The two continued this banter for a long while, half-flirting, half-taking jabs at each other. After about an hour, Hip decided that he liked this girl. She wasn't one of those brainless drones that would fall head over heels for him as soon as he took a breath of the same air as them. She was spunky and she had her wits about her. And, since she was a Career just like him, she was dangerous.

_She'll make a great companion in the Games…_ Hip thought, eyes sparkling maliciously, _until it's time to kill her._

**District 2**

The train ride for District 2 was a quiet one.

Sienna didn't bother making chitchat with Bridon. She sat down in a chair that was as far as possible from his own and merely observed him. She had seen him around the Victor's Village before, with both of them having a father who had won the games, and recognized him. But she had never taken the time to actually _look_ at him.

He was tall, definitely breaching six feet. He had a large, square jaw and thick brows that rested above cold blue eyes that were constantly darting around, as if he expected to be attacked at any moment. He had extremely dark hair with a tint of brown, cut short. He was heavyset and muscular—his muscles practically bulged out of the shirt he was wearing. _He looks like a Neanderthal._ Sienna thought to herself.

"What are _you_ looking at?"

He had caught her staring at him. She hesitated. Well, someone was going to have to say it sooner or later…

"We're both Careers. Want to form an alliance?" She asked, trying to look as innocent as possible.

He narrowed his eyes, mistrusting. But when he spoke, he said, "Sure," and proceeded to turn his back on her to gaze out the window.

A sly smile crossed Sienna's face. _Excellent…_

**District 3**

After about ten minutes on the train, District 3's escort appeared to turn on the TV. There was a live recap of all the Reapings and she had said it would be good for them to see their opponents.

Gadgette and Jack watched the screen intently. District 1 was your usual glamorous pair that seemed like they were in it for the fame and fortune. District 2's tributes were definitely the most deadly. Gadgette briefly wondered if she was gazing upon her potential murderers.

When they started talking about District 3 and "the female tribute's breakdown on national television," Gadgette had to leave the room. She couldn't stand to relive the cursed Reaping all over again.

Apparently, Jack felt the same way, because he followed her. They stayed in the refreshment cart for a while, picking at tarts that were too rich for their shrunken stomachs.

"I feel bad for District 1," Jack commented lightly, "Their whole schedule must have been thrown off because of that girl's speech."

Gadgette just looked at him. She couldn't see why it mattered. All of the districts were set at a different distance from the Capitol…in fact, District 1 would probably be the first ones to arrive.

"Do you want to go back?" Jack asked, when she didn't respond.

"Okay." She agreed shyly.

When they returned to the first room, the screen was flashing the words "District 6" and was going over what had happened at their Reaping.

Gadgette sat down in a chair to watch, but seeing all of these other tributes being taken away from their families made her sick to her stomach. She brought her knees up to her chest, curled into a little ball, and closed her eyes, willing sleep to take her.

**District 4**

"Um…c-can I talk to you?" Bassin stammered.

Frederick, who had been concentrating on a delicious cheesecake, looked at Bassin in surprise. She had been quiet the whole train ride, until now.

"I was wondering…are you going to join the Career alliance?"

"Career alliance?" Frederick echoed.

She nodded, speaking more confidently as she went on. "Yeah, you know. Every year the Careers form an alliance and since we're from a Career district, I thought you might—"

"No." He said firmly, "I have no plans to join the Careers."

"Oh…" Bassin hung her head, looking disappointed, "Well, I was thinking of joining them, but…can I join you?"

Frederick just stared at the poor girl, feeling sorry for her. She was so scrawny and pathetic. She probably wouldn't last long at all. "Sorry, but I'm not planning on making any alliances. I prefer to work alone."

"Okay." She said in a hushed voice, "I just don't want to be alone. So I'm thinking I'm gonna join the Careers. I didn't have a lot of training and—"

"Bassin." He cut her off again. "We're from the same district, you and I, but that does not mean we're allies. There can only be one victor. So I think it would be best if we stopped talking to one another."

"Oh…okay. I'm sorry." She apologized, her voice trembling. He could see her biting her lip, trying to hold back tears. Once again, he had to push away the pity he felt for her.

Emotions were only a weakness when it came to the Hunger Games.

**District 5**

On the train coming from District 5, the two tributes were also watching the coverage of the recent Reapings. Before they sat down to do so, they had exchanged a quick greeting in which Cassia deemed Cole as "a nice guy."

But as soon as the Reapings came on, he was gawking at the girl from District 1. "Wow…" He breathed, "She's beautiful, isn't she?"

Cassia squinted at the TV. "Oh yeah. Absolutely gorgeous." She said sarcastically. Normally, she would have used some choice words to describe a girl like that, and "beautiful" wasn't one of them. But she didn't want to start mouthing off in front of a boy she barely knew, so she shut up and watched it with him.

When they got to District 5, Cassia watched herself being led onto the stage by the Peacekeepers. She was pale and wide-eyed with fear, but at least she didn't break down like that girl from District 3 had done. What was her name? Gadgette?

Suddenly, the announcers on the TV started talking about how the odds definitely _weren't_ in Cassia's favor. "She's only 12 years old, and you know how they're usually the first ones to go…"

She didn't realize she was trembling until Cole put a comforting hand on her shoulder. She looked at him, completely petrified.

"Don't worry." He soothed, "That's not always the case. I promise you won't be the first one to go."

She nodded, hoping with all of her heart that he was right, but knowing that it wasn't a promise that could be kept.

**District 6**

Chat was astounded by the luxurious interior of the train when they first boarded. But now, fidgeting in one of the softest chairs she had ever sat in, she was immensely uncomfortable. Her mind kept shifting back to Trail and District 6. She searched desperately for a way to keep herself entertained…

"Hey you! What's your name again?" She said to the boy sitting across the aisle from her. He had been gazing out the window. After a brief hesitation, he looked at her with a confused expression.

"Who, me?"

"Well yeah! You're the only one here, aren't you?" She snapped.

"Oh, sorry. My name's Mitch. Who are you?"

"Chat. And don't forget it because I'm not going to tell you twice, Mr. Space-Case."

Mitch looked amused. "Okay, Chat." He agreed.

She looked him over once more, realizing that she shouldn't have passed him off as bloodbath fodder so soon. He was about six feet tall with broad shoulders that seemed to contain a hidden power. Aside from that, he wasn't half-bad looking, with pretty blue eyes and short, brown hair that was just a little bit spiky. His good looks could help him get sponsors. But Chat couldn't care less what he looked like. If she was going to get back to her brother, he had to die.

By the way she was glaring at him, he must have guessed what she was thinking.

"You want to get back to your family, don't you?" He said quietly.

She nodded. "Yup. I have a little brother."

"I can relate. I have two younger sisters." Mitch went on, "It's hard, leaving them behind like this…"

"I'm not leaving him." Chat snapped, "I'm being taken away from him against my will. There's a difference."

"Sorry." Mitch muttered, and changed the subject to chariot outfits. He mentioned how last year their district had been dressed in poorly made car costumes, and he was hoping they wouldn't get the same treatment this time around.

Chat didn't give a crap about what they were going to wear, but she regarded her opponent with a new thoughtfulness. He was quiet and spacey, that was for sure, but he had a knack for silently gathering information and holding onto it. He was observant. Maybe this quirk would help him in the arena.

Then again, maybe it wouldn't.

**District 7 **

Tasi gazed morosely out the window, drinking in the sights of District 7 for what could be the last time in his life. The other tribute, Calista, came and sat down next to him, but he ignored her. He was in no mood for idle chitchat. Then, just as the train started its engine and began to start moving slowly, he caught a flash of movement in the corner of his eye. He turned his head and looked.

It was Hope. She was a bright golden blur racing alongside the train, eyes searching the windows for her master's face. When she caught sight of him, she let out a joyous bark and doubled her speed. Tasi could only watch helplessly as she sprinted towards him in what was a futile effort. The train was picking up speed, and she was starting to fall behind. She was obviously tired, panting heavily, but still she pushed on. It was painful to watch.

_Stay, Hope._ Tasi pleaded silently, _Please. Stay._

As if complying, she slowed a great deal. She took a few more steps, but they were in vain. Finally, she stopped altogether. She stood there, ears pricked, tail limp, watching the train take Tasi away from her.

He watched Hope's silhouette until it had disappeared. Then he turned away from the window and buried his face in his hands. If only he could have explained to Hope what had happened. But now, she was probably thinking he had abandoned her.

There was a light touch on his arm, and a voice said, "That was your dog wasn't it…? I'm so sorry…" He looked up and locked eyes with his fellow tribute. Calista. The crazy one that had volunteered before they could even spit the name out. "I had a dog too." She went on in a soft tone of voice, "It's the hardest thing in the world…saying goodbye."

"Thanks…for your condolences, I mean." Tasi said awkwardly.

Calista smiled. "You're welcome." There was a long pause. Then she offered, "I like your hair. It's almost as curly as mine." She reached over and gave a tentative tug on his ponytail.

Tasi couldn't help but smile a little bit. This girl was kind, and pretty too. He was upset over losing Hope and being entered into the Hunger Games against his will, but to have a companion that was going through the same suffering…it was nice. Misery loves company, after all.

And when she smiled at him, his heart couldn't help but beat a little bit faster.

**District 8**

Abbadon sat down directly across from Ash and made a point to blankly stare at her. She was a wimpy-looking redhead with bangs that hung over her eyes, which had dark circles underneath them. She kept casting nervous glances up at him, would see him staring, and then quickly look away. Finally, she bucked up enough courage to whisper, "Would you please stop?"

Abbadon snorted. "What, am I not allowed to look at you?"

She didn't respond.

"So what makes you so special?" Her opponent went on, "Are you gonna win the Games? How are you gonna do that, huh?"

"W-Well…" She said timidly, "I'm pretty smart. I can solve puzzles and—"

Abbadon laughed cruelly. "Seriously? You think you're gonna win by being _smart_? It's a death match, honey. Not a chess match."

Ash glared at her feet, clenching her fists. "I know."

"But you never know. Maybe they changed it this year. Maybe the arena will be the set of a quiz show."

Ash muttered something.

"What's that?" Abbadon smirked. "You're going to have to speak up. Jeez, if you can't even speak at a proper volume, just how do you expect to—"

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Ash said, exploding like a volcano, "JUST SHUT UP AND LEAVE. ME. ALONE!" With that, she stood up and left the cart, slamming the door behind her.

Abbadon shut up.

**District 9**

Cara was pretty friendly and Drake hit it off with her pretty fast. They talked about their lives in District 9. Her life seemed to be pretty much perfect. Until the Reaping, anyways. She told him about her large family, and he told her about his small one. When he mentioned he didn't have a father, she started to apologize, but he cut her off, saying it didn't matter and not to worry about it.

"Okay…" She said slowly at one point, "I'm going to seem like such a jerk for asking this. But what happened to your right hand?"

"You're not a jerk. And I don't mind telling." Drake shrugged. "I was being an idiot and showing off in front of my friends when I was younger. Trying to show them my prowess with a sickle. I'm cutting wheat one second, and the next second…my hand's just a bleeding stump."

Cara winced. "Ouch."

"Yeah. Ouch." Drake agreed.

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I've got a bit of a handicap too."

Drake looked confused. "…Why would that make me feel better?"

Cara giggled. "I guess it wouldn't, would it? Anyways, I was fooling around, climbing on the roof of my house when I was seven. I fell and landed on a shovel. Amputated my right pinky toe."

It was Drake's turn to wince.

"And as I'm sure you know, the doctors in District 9 aren't exactly top notch. They tried to repair my foot and ended up snagging a tendon. And tada! Now I can't run very fast. Probably not the best weakness to have when you're entering the Hunger Games."

"You could always climb," Drake suggested, "If it happens to be a woods arena. That one seems to be a Gamemaker favorite, so that's what I'm guessing it's gonna be this year."

Cara contemplated this for a moment. "Yeah…" She said quietly, "But you never know."

**District 10**

"My name's Olivia. What's your name?"

"Shem Dog." Shem responded, turning away from the window to face his fellow tribute.

Olivia couldn't help but laugh inwardly. That was definitely the strangest name she had ever heard. "Nice to meet you, Shem Dog."

"Same." He responded, nodding respectfully, and turning back to gaze out the window.

Olivia didn't want to sit here in silence, so she tried to keep the conversation going as best she could. "So…you nervous about the Hunger Games?" As soon as she said it, she realized how stupid it sounded. She might as well have asked him if he was nervous about dying.

His answer surprised her. "I know I should be, but I'm not…I just feel so confident. After watching the Games for 17 years, I feel like I know how to get by."

"Hello, hello, hello!" Their male escort hurried in and turned on the TV, "I was supposed to let you watch the coverage of the Reapings, but it totally slipped my mind! Oh, curses. We've already missed District 1."

He turned and jogged quickly from the room, back to wherever he had come from. Olivia and Shem turned their attention to the TV. On the screen was an extremely muscular 18-year old from District 2. The name underneath him read, "Bridon Jakkels."

They watched the rest of the Reapings in silence. All sorts of different people made up their list of opponents. There was the crying girl from District 3, the dangerous-looking boy with the mohawk from District 8, the two volunteers from District 12…

Olivia tried to keep all of their names straight in her head, but it was hard remembering all of their faces. She kept thinking of the muscular boy from District 2 and the intimidating boy from District 8. After the Reapings were over, she turned to Shem. "Still feeling confident you can win?"

He didn't respond.

**District 11**

Caden sat on the train, staring out the window, highly aware of the other tribute's presence. But he just wasn't in the mood to talk. For once in his life, he just wanted absolute silence. He felt miserable. Unfortunately, the female tribute didn't share this desire for peace and quiet.

"Sooo…my name's Julia." She said awkwardly, "What was your name again? Caden?"

He looked at her and gave a slight nod. She stared back at him, scrutinizing him with her gray-blue eyes. He stared back, trying to observe her as his opponent. She was thin and lithe in build—no doubt she was fast, but she probably wasn't very strong. She was tanned too, probably from working in the fields of District 11. She didn't seem too threatening.

The escort showed up and turned on the TV, just as a few others had done in separate districts. They watched the recap, with Julia making small noises of approval the whole way through. Caden kept shooting glances at her, wondering what on earth she was so happy about. Then he realized she was checking out the male tributes. She especially seemed to like the ones from Districts 1, 4, and 12, the drop-dead handsome ones.

"Okay," Julia said, once the Reapings were over. She turned to face Caden, her face dead serious. "On a scale of 1 to 10, how much of a chance do you think I have with the boy from District 1?"

Caden just sighed and rolled his eyes.

This was going to be a long trip.

**District 12**

Ellis was on the train a long while, wondering where her fellow tribute was. The train had left District 12 a few hours ago and yet he was nowhere to be found. Would they really have left without him? Deciding that he must be somewhere, she made herself comfortable and settled in for a nap.

When she woke up, he still hadn't returned, so she decided to get up and look for him. It didn't take long at all. She found him in the refreshments cart, clutching a glass filled with a dark, purple liquid. He was lying his head on the table and didn't acknowledge her presence until she spoke.

"Aren't you a little young to be drinking?" She asked, sitting down next to him. "How old are you?"

"Sixteen. And the escort said the exact same thing." Carson replied, lifting his head and taking a sip from his glass. "But I told her, 'I'm probably going to be dead in three weeks, so I'm gonna do what I want.' Then she left me alone."

"Oh," was all Ellis could manage to say, staring at the half-finished bottle of wine.

"Would you like to try some? It'll make being here more bearable." He grimaced, grabbing the bottle and holding it out to her.

She hesitated. "Well…just a sip…" He poured her a glass, spilling some on the table as he went. She took it from him, staring into the reddish-purple depths uncertainly. _Oh, why not…_ She tasted it and immediately screwed her face up. She had been expecting something sweet, like grape juice, but the wine was extremely bitter and dry. "Yuck." She handed it back to him.

"It's an acquired taste." He said, finishing off his glass and smiling wryly at his fellow competitor.

Just then, their escort burst into the room, chortling, "We're here!"

They both turned to look out the window.

"Wow." Ellis breathed.

The Capitol was so much bigger than she had imagined. There were too many buildings to count, many of them tall skyscrapers that reached towards the clouds. There were many smaller homes on the outskirts too; large, pristine houses that weren't falling apart like the shack she lived in. All of them had perfect little lawns and bright flowers that matched their bright paint jobs.

The people that walked the streets were even flashier than the houses, and turned to gawk as the train whizzed on by. When they pulled into the station, a crowd had gathered. They were all screaming their heads off and waving frantically. Some towards the back of the crowd were jumping up and down to get a look at District 12's tributes. Both Ellis and Carson backed away from the window shyly. Watching hordes of people fawning over them was frightening, but at the same time, it triggered a certain excitement.

Ellis suddenly felt as if she were a celebrity. And for a moment, she completely forgot that she was here to die for these peoples' entertainment.


	5. The Chariot Ride

**Time for the chariot chapter! I apologize for focusing on the Careers a bit more than the others in this chapter. I liked the idea of them going along and observing each tribute, rather than me just going down the line and describing what they looked like. Tried to inject some humor in there too. :P**

"Dahling! When ah hoy'd you was from a vineyahd ah just HAD to make this yea's costume wine-themed. And ah'm so glad ah did! Ya look fabulous!"

Channa smiled at her stylist's constant stream of praise, looking at herself from every angle in the mirror. No doubt, she was going to be the most beautiful tribute there. She looked like an otherworldly creature, with her skin painted a shining gold that matched her laurel headdress and the vines that were wrapped around her body. The vines covered the parts that needed covering, but still left plenty of skin and a good amount of cleavage. The men in the audience would definitely be satisfied.

But the best part had to be the beautiful cluster of grapes that were bunched at her shoulder. The grapes were made from amethysts and glittered in the artificial light cast from the ceiling.

"All eyes will be on me." Channa murmured, pleased.

Too excited to stay put, she headed down to where the chariots were lined up, ready to go. She headed straight for the District 1 chariot, at the front of the line. As she walked up to it, clicking along in her extremely high heels, she noticed that someone was already in it. _Who is that half-naked stranger? _She thought in alarm, _Oh…it's Hip._

His usually messy hair was slicked back, shiny with gel. It made him look like a whole different person.

Currently, he was hunched over, holding his head in his hands. Channa could see some thin vines weaving around his arms, but his shirtless appearance gave off the vibe that he was naked, considering she couldn't see his lower torso over the side of the chariot.

"What are you doing?" She called to him. He lifted his head and glanced at her. He looked miserable, not even having the wide-eyed reaction she had come to expect from so many boys his age. "Come out and be social. I want to meet the other tributes."

"No thanks." Hip sighed, turning away. "My costume sucks."

"It can't be _that_ bad, if it's anything like mine." Channa scoffed, "Now, come on. Stand up and let me see."

Begrudgingly, Hip rose to his feet.

His outfit was just as revealing as hers, if not more so. But he pulled it off. He was well toned, with a good set of muscles on him and a six-pack that was coming along nicely. The glittering gold spray helped to define them. He had the same gold vines wrapping around his body, along with some amethysts that the stylist had studded his skin with. But Channa could see the part he was disappointed about. A cluster of grapes that matched the ones on her shoulder had been placed at his crotch.

Anyone who gazed upon this spectacle would no doubt have his or her mind dropped straight into the gutter.

"This is gonna be my first public appearance since the Reaping," Hip groaned, "And no one's gonna notice my beautiful face or the fact that I've been working out. They're all gonna be staring at my shiny crotch!" He sat back down, looking frustrated. "I was excited when they told me I would be half-naked, but they failed to mention that I was getting a new set of balls." He added as an afterthought.

Channa stifled a giggle. "That does suck. But we really need to scope out our competition. Don't you want to meet the tributes from District 2?"

"_No_. Go away."

"…Oh no you didn't. No one says no to me." She said dangerously, narrowing her eyes. "You get out of that chariot right now, Mr. Hip Hoprock. Before I make you."

He grinned. "I'd like to see you try."

Realizing that this wasn't the way to do it, Channa completely changed her tactics. Sighing, she climbed up to sit down next to him. "Look. We need to check out the other tributes and we need to set up an alliance with District 2. Why can't we get it over with now instead of waiting for training?"

"Because we'll say to them, 'want to form an alliance with us?' and they'll be too busy staring at my crotch to answer."

"And why should you care what they think?" Channa said harshly, "Why should you care what anyone thinks? You're the best-looking guy here!"

"You haven't even seen the other tributes yet." Hip narrowed his eyes disbelievingly.

"Err…well, you don't know that. Now remind me, what district are we from again?"

"District 1."

"That's right. District 1-_we're number one_. We're the best. No one is better than us, whether we look ridiculous in our costumes or not! So pull yourself together and have some confidence!" For good measure, she reached out and slapped his face.

But he didn't get angry, nor flinch at the pain. His eyes were brimming with excitement. The pep talk had worked. "You're right!" He said, jumping to his feet. He reached up and mussed his hair, returning it to its former glory. "Why should I care what they think? I'm better than all of them!"

"Except me." Channa added, but it went unheard. He was clamoring out of the chariot. "Hey, wait for me!"

Hip held out a hand and helped her down from the chariot. His confident smirk had returned. He was back to his old self. "C'mon." They set off at a steady pace down the line of chariots, walking in a dignified sort of manner, theirs head held high with confidence.

They came to the second chariot in line, which, of course, belonged to District 2. The two tributes watched their approach, not saying a word. The male tribute was tall and muscular, most certainly 18 years old, while the female tribute was short with dark hair and cold blue eyes. She had to be only 12 or 13. The sight of such a young Career surprised Channa, but she tried not to show it.

Their outfits were absolutely stunning, their stylists having done a fantastic job. They were dressed as indigenous tribal warriors, holding spears, ready to go to war. Elaborate, feathery headdresses bristled atop their heads. The outfits were skimpy, being only made from leather and beads, but the best part had to be the war paint that ran all over their bodies. The markings around their faces made them look especially lethal.

Both were extremely intimidating, but Hip and Channa approached them fearlessly, knowing that these were their future allies.

"Hi. My name's Chanpagne, but you can call me Channa." Channa said, greeting them with a smile. She batted her eyelashes, gazing at Bridon, but he didn't seem to notice or care. His expression remained the same, set firmly in a scowl. "This is my fellow District 1 tribute, Hip."

The two tributes turned to look at him. Instantly, their eyes were on his crotch. Hip shot a glance at Channa, which clearly read, _I told you so!_

"I'm Sienna." The little girl responded, ripping her eyes away from the cluster of amethysts to look upon her fellow tributes.

"Name's Bridon." The boy said in a gruff voice.

"Bridon and Sienna." Hip said, grinning, "Awesome. So would you guys be interested in forming an alliance?"

"Of course." Sienna said, offering up a soft smile, "After all, District 1 and 2 always band together." Though her voice was kind, her eyes were sparkling mischievously.

Bridon didn't object. And so, the four of them became a team.

"Let's check out the rest of the tributes." Channa said, the four of them starting in the direction of the next chariot, "I want to see who might be worthy of joining us—and who we're going to end up killing."

At the third chariot, Jack and Gadgette were already up in their seats, waiting for the event to begin. They didn't feel like socializing and were content to be in one another's company.

Jack was currently gushing about how cool their outfits were. And indeed they were. Each of them sported slick, silver boots and a sparkling chrome outfit with gear patterns running down the sleeves. Gadgette's was a dress, while Jack wore a tux. But the best part had to be the headpiece, which had moving cogs on it. Jack could not stop talking about it.

"It just keeps going and going! It's so perfect. And I love how symmetrical the outfits are, with the gears going down the sleeves." He went on and on.

Gadgette just smiled and nodded in agreement, content to listen to him prattle on. Suddenly, something caught her eye and she turned to see four tributes headed in their direction. Even through their ridiculous costumes, she recognized them as the Careers from the first two districts.

The Careers paused just outside District 3's chariot, observing the two tributes inside with interest. Gadgette shrunk down in her seat, trying to ignore them, but still highly aware of their scrutinizing. Jack had stopped talking and was staring curiously back at them.

After a minute of this, they moved on, continuing down the line.

"Hey…! Wait!" Jack called after them.

"Don't call them back!" Gadgette whispered, but he ignored her.

"You! Boy in the gold!" He shouted.

Hip stopped and turned around, blinking in surprise. The other Careers went on without him. "What?"

"Your laurel." Jack said, pointing at his own headdress, "It's crooked. You should fix it."

"Oh, I'm sorry." Hip said, frowning. "Does that bother you?" He reached up and tilted it, making it even more crooked than it was before. "There." Then he continued on, catching up with his fellow Careers.

"Wait! Now it's even worse!" Jack called after him, but he didn't look back. "Oh, shoot. I shouldn't have said anything at all." He sighed, slumping in his seat.

Behind them was District 4. They resembled a mermaid and a merman, with intricate pants that formed a tail fin. Bassin had on a skimpy top while Frederick went shirtless. They also sported shining gold crowns and capes that had scale patterns weaved into them. Those that were well read in mythology would have recognized them as Poseidon and Amphitrite, rulers of the sea.

Bassin was already up in the chariot, but Frederick was loitering near the horses, obviously trying to avoid any conversation. He looked just as miserable as Hip had earlier.

"Hello," Channa came walking up to him, flanked by the three other Careers. "I'm Channa. What's your name?"

"Frederick. Frederick Mariner." He responded, knowing exactly why they were here.

"That's a nice name…" She said in low voice, no doubt meant to seduce him onto their team, "Well Frederick, I was wondering…"

"Not interested." He said immediately. "I prefer to work alone. No offense."

"None taken." Channa replied, eyes glittering, "But maybe you'll change your mind once training starts. Remember, it's never too late to join."

They were about to leave, but paused upon seeing Bassin. She was huddled in the chariot with her eyes closed.

"Hey!" Sienna called out to her.

Bassin's eyes snapped open. "Oh! Y-You're the Careers!"

"Yup." Hip gave a wink. "And you are too, since you're from District 4. Wanna form an alliance with us?"

"Oh, I would love to…" She said quietly.

"Then c'mon." Bridon said, motioning for her to join them. "We're checking out the competition."

Almost reluctantly, she stepped down from the chariot and joined them. They each introduced themselves and set off for the next chariot in line—District 5. Cole and Cassia were standing by the horses, making idle chitchat. They wore outfits that were almost completely black. On the chests of the costumes was a glowing lightning bolt, that pulsated brighter and dimmer every few seconds. It obviously represented power, which is what their district was known for.

"Don't look now, but the Careers are checking us out." Cassia whispered.

Cole turned and looked.

"I told you not to look!" She hissed.

"I'm gonna go see if I can talk to the cute brunette." Cole said quickly, taking off in their direction.

"Wait, what?" Cassia said in disbelief, but he was already gone.

He caught the Careers right before they moved on to check out District 6. "Hey!" He said breathlessly, approaching Channa, "Hi."

"Hello." A sly grin crossed her face. "And who might you be?"

"I'm Cole." He said, blushing slightly, "And you are?"

"Chanpagne Bordeaux. But please, call me Channa."

"Channa." He repeated, smiling. "How old are you? I'm 16."

"17." She looked him up and down. He was cute enough, with pretty blue eyes and strawberry blonde hair. A little on the short side for 16, but he seemed to be pretty fit. He might work. "Would you like to join us, Cole?"

He beamed. "Sure!"

The other Careers all looked at her uncertainly.

"The more the merrier, right?" She said lightly.

But as they walked to the next chariot, she heard Sienna mutter, "He's completely smitten with her," and saw Bridon give a nod. Even Hip looked displeased with their new recruit.

The District 6 outfits were pretty snazzy; the stylists had done well. Each tribute was dressed in train conductor suits that had a wheel theme going on. The buttons were wheels, wheels were embroidered on the sleeves, and their hats even resembled a gigantic wheel. The only difference was that Chat wore a skirt while Mitch had pants.

"Ten minutes until the chariot ride!" A chipper voice said from the intercom, "Please start heading towards your assigned chariot!" The intercom clicked off.

"Let's hurry up." Bassin said quickly, and they passed by District 6 without too much observation, "We'll see everyone again in training anyways."

Mitch didn't even seem to realize their presence, but Chat watched them go with narrowed eyes. She knew those Careers were nothing but trouble. She was glad they hadn't approached her because she would have said no. She didn't want to make any alliances at all, especially not with them.

Up next was District 7. They weren't dressed identically, like many of the other districts. Instead, Tasi appeared to be a lumberjack, wearing a plaid shirt, suspenders, and black pants and work boots. He carried a fake hatchet too. Calista was no doubt meant to resemble a tree. She wore a short, puffy green dress made of forest green leaves that matched her green wig and makeup. She wore brown leggings and boots to represent the stump.

The Careers paused, nodding with approval at the couple, especially Tasi, who was well over six feet tall and almost completely muscle. Tasi saw how they looked at him, and so did Calista.

"You're not going to join them, are you?" She asked, looking at him seriously.

"No." He said bluntly, "No way. I hate Careers. But I hate to be alone too…" He paused, and then asked nervously, "Would you like to form an alliance?"

Her answer surprised him. "No…after all, trust has to be earned, not blindly given." She replied firmly. His heart fell slightly. He thought that, since they were getting along so well, she would have said yes. But then she added, laughing, "Still, you must be a pretty good guy if your dog loved you that much. Even so, I'm gonna hold off on an alliance for now."

"Okay. I understand." Tasi told her, and dropped the subject.

District 8 caught the Careers' attention. Both tributes wore uniforms that resembled that of a Peacekeeper. After all, one of District 8's many jobs was to provide Peacekeeper uniforms. But these costumes had more of a steampunk look to them, which had a very cool result.

The Careers took an interest in Abbadon immediately. Being a tall, toned 18-year old, he was prime material for their alliance. His scar also told them that he was a fighter, or at least a survivor. But they didn't approach, and continued down the line.

_Let him join them._ Ash thought in disgust, watching them go. _He's just like them._

District 9's tributes were wearing overly shiny gold outfits. Cara wore a long dress, while Drake wore a suit. Light shimmered off their bodies as they moved. On top of their heads rested goofy-looking hats that looked exactly like the heads of grain. The District 9 tributes had been transformed into giant, walking stalks of wheat.

The Careers walked on by, stifling snorts. Drake watched them go, clenching his one good fist angrily. His plan would have to wait until training began. Then he would approach them and try to gain their trust.

The Careers passed by District 10 with barely a glance. They had little interest in the outliers. Shem and Olivia made sure to glare at them as they passed by. Then they went back to stroking the horses attached to their chariot.

"Ugh." Shem groaned, once they had passed, "Did you _see_ his crotch?"

"Shame on you! Staring at his crotch." Olivia joked, scratching a black horse behind the ear. It whinnied and shook out its mane.

"Well it was kind of his costume's most defining feature. Sucks to be him…but not as much as it sucks to be me." He grimaced.

Their stylist had given them matching outfits that resembled that of a professional horse or bull rider. They were decked out in purple, long-sleeved shirts and pants, and a sparkly vest, which was covered in rhinestones. Both wore a large, white cowboy hat on their heads. Olivia's hair was pulled back with a pretty blue bow. She was pleased because this was right up her alley, but Shem could not have been more disappointed.

"Would you rather they dressed us in cow or goat costumes?" She asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes, actually. I like goats."

"Tributes, you have three minutes. If you are not there already, _please_ get into your chariots. The ceremony will be starting soon." The announcer spoke, sounding a little bit annoyed.

The Careers ignored the announcement, wanting to see the rest of the districts. The District 11 tributes were covered with leaves and little fruits. The leaves were strewn through their hair and hung off their torsos. Julia's midriff was exposed, but Caden's wasn't. He didn't look too pleased with his outfit either. The color of the leaves blended with his light brown skin and made him feel itchy.

"That girl looks like she wants to eat you." Channa giggled, falling back to walk in step with Hip.

Hip glanced over to see Julia staring at him. She caught his eye and quickly looked away, blushing. He smirked. "I often have that effect on the ladies." Channa rolled her eyes.

"Or maybe she just doesn't like your costume," Sienna commented dryly, "I don't."

Hip took no offense to the statement. "You and me both, sister." He sighed.

Julia turned and started shaking Caden. "Did you see? He looked at me! Oh my gosh, and did you see the boy in the chariot behind us? Hot! There are so many good-looking guys here!"

"Julia…" Caden sighed, freeing himself from her grip, "You do realize there's only one victor that comes out of this thing, right?"

"So?"

Caden tried not to lose his patience. "So you have a 0% chance of getting together with _anyone_."

"Oh yeah? Well…maybe they'll take two victors this year." She said stubbornly.

"Yeah, like that'll ever happen."

The last district in line was District 12, mining. They were completely dressed in black, with heavy black makeup on every part of their body. They looked as if they were shadows that had risen from the floor and were now standing up and walking around. Their stylist had also added some sequins to their outfits and a bit of glitter to their faces, causing them to shine a bit. They resembled coal anthracite rather than the blacker rocks they usually harvested in their district.

The Careers could only glance at them for a second before turning around and heading back the way they came. Carson and Ellis watched them go.

"I hope we make a good impression." Ellis said quietly.

"I just want to get this over with." Carson responded, thinking of the delicious buffet they had been treated to earlier. He wanted to try as many Capitol delicacies as he could over the next few days.

Once everyone was standing in their chariots, ready to go, the ceremony started. Dramatic music began to play and an announcer started up commentary, but it was lost among the roar of the crowd.

District 1 was the first one out, and they were greeted with thousands of screaming fans, all in awe of the glittering gold beings before them. Channa and Hip held their heads high, beaming at the audience. Channa waved to the crowd and blew kisses while Hip winked at every pretty girl he saw, resulting in him looking like he had gotten something in his eye.

Then came District 2's chariot. Both Bridon and Sienna were deadly serious. Their eyes were cold, gazing straight ahead, acknowledging no one. Their tribal warrior outfits and spears made them appear even more dangerous. But that didn't stop the Capitol citizens from going wild—after all, District 2 had produced many victors in the past, and Bridon was currently the favorite for this year.

After that, District 3 came out, but not in the blaze of glory the previous two had come. Gadgette, being shy, shrunk back from the noise as it hit her like a wall. She tried to smile, but it was obviously forced. Meanwhile, Jack had spotted himself on a gigantic TV screen and started trying to fix every little detail of his appearance. He was paying more attention to his hair than to the people around him.

The ceremony regained momentum as District 4's chariot came parading onto the scene. Everyone was in awe of Frederick's and Bassin's beautifully made outfits. Both were managing to smiles, even though they didn't care for the attention they were receiving. Someone threw a rose to Frederick. He caught it reflexively, but then let it fall from his hand.

There was an audible "ooh!" when District 5 appeared with their glowing lightning bolts on their chests. Cassia stayed quiet, staring at her feet. Cole, meanwhile, found the excitement of the crowd contagious. He couldn't help but raise his hand and start waving at them. Cassia looked at him, surprised that he was actually getting into the festivities. Then she begrudgingly raised her hand and started waving too.

District 6 rolled out next. Mitch had his usual spacey look on his face, but as soon as he took in the sight of the crowd, his mouth dropped open in surprise. He had this astonished look on his face the rest of the ride, just looking around, completely in awe. Chat had a confident smile on her face, knowing that all eyes in Panem were on her at the moment. She would show them she was ready.

Tasi hated the Hunger Games, and so he hated the chariot ride too. He didn't even bother with pretending to look happy when District 7 came out. He glared at the crowd almost accusingly, but that didn't stifle their excitement. Calista hesitated at first; She was extremely nervous that so many eyes were on her. But after the first minute, she managed a small smile and nodded to each of her adoring fans.

Everyone seemed excited to see District 8's tributes again too. Ash hated this much attention, always having a preference to be in the background. She lowered her head, allowing her long bangs to sweep over her eyes and hide her face. Abbadon was the opposite. His eyes were gleaming and he had on his usual smirk. He didn't wave to the crowd at all, but radiated a sort of "I'm better than you" vibe.

Both of the friendly tributes from District 9 were smiling and waving. The audience seemed to get a kick out of their goofy hats, but enjoyed the congeniality that was coming their way. Drake heard a group of them screaming his name, telling him to wave his other hand. He obliged, waving the hand that didn't exist, and the crowd screamed with approval. Cara grinned at him. "They love an underdog!"

District 10 followed, but they weren't smiling or waving. Shem was dead serious, fists clenched at his sides, his eyes blazing with determination. Olivia was about to follow what District 9 was doing, but when she saw how Shem was behaving, she didn't want to be the only one doing it. So she lifted her chin and took on the same look of determination as him.

Both Julia and Caden couldn't help but get excited by the atmosphere they came into. The music made Caden feel like he was back at home and he had the sudden urge to start dancing. But instead, he poured his energy into waving at the crowd as enthusiastically as possible. Julia did the same, wriggling with excitement and waving until her arm was tired.

Finally came the last chariot, District 12. The audience was especially excited to see two volunteers, both from a poorer district. Carson shared Ash's desire to stay out of the spotlight and he just stood there, watching the world go by around him. Ellis offered up a shy smile, but it was hard to read her expression under the amount of makeup she had on. Still, the audience wasn't any less enthusiastic.

The chariots circled around a ring, pulling to a halt as the president stood up to make a small speech. "Good evening. And Happy Hunger Games!" He launched into a short spiel on past hardships and the tradition of the games. The tributes paid little attention, having heard this before. Most of them were admiring their blown-up images on the large screens at the moment.

Finally, the president ended with the usual, "Good luck…and may the odds be ever in your favor."

The music started up again and the horses paraded out. The audience took up their cheering again, but none of the tributes seemed to realize it. President Snow's parting words were still echoing ominously in their heads.

_May the odds be ever in our favor._


	6. Training

After a good night's rest, it was time for the tributes to begin their training.

The Careers had met up after the chariot ride the day before and agreed on a plan—they would go all out and demonstrate their skills on the first day of training. They would speak to no one and wait to see if anyone approached them, asking to join. The second day of training, they would try to recruit those that had not approached them. When it was time to demonstrate their skills for the Gamemakers, they had to exhibit their prowess with a specific weapon, ensuring that it would be in the Cornucopia at the start of the games.

The other tributes went in without a plan, which wasn't a setback at all. Instead, they were free from any obligation, and they explored whichever stations caught their fancy.

The stations included: identifying edible plants/insects, climbing, building a fire, camouflage, hand-to-hand combat, weight-lifting, snare-building, knot-tying, an obstacle course known as "the gauntlet," and much, much more. There were many stations solely dedicated to the range of weapons that would most likely be provided in the games. This included axes, maces, knives, swords, spears, tridents, and bows and arrows.

The Careers headed straight to the gauntlet, eager to show off their agility.

Cara swept her gaze around the room, wondering which station to try first. She was already confident in her camouflage and climbing skills, and she didn't want to reveal her skill with a scythe to the other tributes. So she went to the edible plants/insects station. It was one of the least popular stations, where she could enjoy some privacy.

Tasi shared this desire to be alone and went to try his hand at tying knots. With his clumsy hands, he had trouble at first, but an assistant helped him along. _God forbid I have to do this in the arena…_ He thought, frustrated. Suddenly, he was aware of a new presence at his side. He looked over to see a scrawny, brown-haired girl observing his work. It was Bassin.

"I'm okay at knots. Do you need some help?" She asked quietly.

"Aren't you a Career?" Tasi said, a bit unfriendly. He glanced over to see the kids from Districts 1 and 2 hogging the obstacle course. Currently, the little 12-year old was going at it and the others were rooting for her.

"Oh…" Bassin bit her lip. "I guess so. I mean, I said I would join them. But they said we had to demonstrate what we were best at to intimidate the other tributes." Her eyes widened, as if she was unsure she should be telling this to someone else.

"So you're best at knot-tying." Tasi responded.

Bassin didn't answer. She looked as if she was going to cry. He stared at her, waiting for an answer. Finally, she admitted, "I'm not good at anything. I never trained like they did. But don't tell them that! They'll think I'm useless."

"I won't tell." Tasi promised, "But they might figure it out sooner or later. We're going to be here a while."

At these words, Bassin could feel her heart begin to beat rapidly in her chest. "You're right. I should go to a different station—one they think is important." She got up to leave, her eyes fixed on the weapons corner of the room.

"Wait." Tasi said quickly, "If the Careers kick you out…you're welcome to join me." He forced a smile that was supposed to be comforting.

"Thanks." Bassin said, looking a bit relieved, "I'll keep that in mind." Then she headed away to try her hand at shooting arrows. But she was horrible with any kind of weapon—except a hammer, which they didn't have. She brought this up to one of the advisors, and they sent away for one. After a little while, they came back with one and handed it to her. She was relieved to have it in her hands. It was the only weapon she was comfortable with and she could throw it rather well.

Gadgette, shy of trying out the weapons right away, put it off by attempting to build a fire. Abbadon joined her and his presence made her feel nervous. Her hands were shaking as she tried to rub two sticks together. But he ignored her, concentrating on his own fire. It didn't take long until he managed to get a spark. His eyes lit up at his victory. Then, not bothering to put it out, he headed on over to train with a sword.

Gadgette continued her attempt to light the fire, feeling miserable. The assistant was kind and guided her along. Finally, after what seemed forever, she also managed to do it. Then she headed in the direction of the shelter station, still giving the weapons a wide berth.

Ellis was currently showing off her climbing skills, hanging on to a net that was attached to the ceiling. She was planning to start with her strong suits, and then head to stations she would have a harder time with, such as hand-to-hand combat practice. For now, she would enjoy the climbing, camouflage, and plant stations.

Caden watched her climb, unimpressed. He had complete faith in his climbing skills after years of scaling trees to collect fruit. He decided to check out the weapons station. He wanted to practice with each one and find out what he was good with.

After observing everything they had to offer, he decided to go with the bow and arrow. If he had to kill, it would be a clean one. Plus, it was a long-ranged weapon that provided safety.

Unfortunately, he wasn't meant to wield a bow. No matter how many times he tried, it took him forever to string the arrow properly and when released, it was never on the mark.

"Are you done with that?" Shem asked, after about ten minutes of watching Caden fail.

Caden, red as a tomato, handed it off to him without a word. Shem took it and began releasing arrows. He wasn't right on the mark, but at least he wasn't missing the target altogether. Trying to ignore the other tribute's success, Caden picked up a knife and asked an assistant to give him a quick training session. When he was done with that, he decided to get some weight-lifting done.

"You don't happen to have arnis sticks here, do you?" Julia asked the weapons assistant politely.

The assistant frowned. "Jeez, you tributes sure fancy rare weapons. First a hammer, then sai, and now this. We'll get you what you want, but you'll have to wait a little while."

"That's fine." Julia said, leaving to find a different station. She spotted Hip running the obstacle course, and was tempted to go over there, but she didn't want to go near the other Careers. Instead, she took up residence in the station next to theirs—the hand-to-hand combat station. The well-muscled assistant was enthusiastic, and welcomed her to his course. Being on the thin side, and being slightly distracted by the surrounding stations, she found it hard to win a fight with the assistant.

But by the end, when she was panting with effort and her auburn ponytail was coming apart, he stopped to praise her, saying she had made great improvement. She nodded, satisfied, and went to take a break at the hammock-making station, which had been unoccupied the entire time.

Carson was making good progress, sharpening his skills at the knife and axe stations, and then heading to the shelter station, where he worked alongside Gadgette. He was about to head towards the camouflage table when a commotion broke out.

"What are you doing? Give me that!" Chat snapped, ripping the paintbrush out of Jack's hand with a glare. "Get your own paintbrush!"

"I need _that_ one!" Jack argued, struggling to take it back, "If I'm going to stick to my schedule and hit all the stations, I need to be at each one for exactly ten minutes! You're throwing off my schedule!" He grabbed at her arm, smearing her carefully-painted camo.

"Grab. A. Different. Paintbrush!" Chat practically snarled, tearing her arm out of his grasp, "No one cares about your stupid schedule!"

Jack gasped. Before the two could wind up turning the camouflage station into the hand-to-hand combat station, an assistant intervened. She calmed Jack down and convinced him to use a different paintbrush. He obeyed, but he barely got anything done, and headed off to the next station to try his hand with a mace.

"Stinkin' OCD kid…" Chat muttered under her breath, dabbing delicately at her skin with the brush she had recovered.

Frederick was nearby, demonstrating his prowess with a trident. He secretly hoped that the Gamemakers were watching, because he was doing quite well, moving quickly and spearing any dummy that stood in his way.

Olivia watched him go. She had been handling knives nearby, discovering that she wasn't half-bad at throwing them. Then Frederick had shown up and started mutilating every dummy in the nearby vicinity. At one point he paused, wiping the sweat from his brow, and glanced her way. She looked away quickly.

He was pretty good-looking, but he was a Career. She wasn't interested in making his acquaintance. Besides, his scar made him look dangerous—never a good sign. So she headed on over to the tracking station, which she excelled at.

Ash was actually having a great time climbing the rope ceiling. From above, she could observe every single tribute. She saw where they excelled and where they failed. She took many notes, especially on which weapons each one used. Finally, she saw Shem from District 10 set down the bow and she swooped in to grab it.

She practiced with it for a long while, hitting the target each time. Her aim wasn't incredible, but she managed to strike the heart of the dummy after a few tries. She smiled approvingly. She had done even better than Shem—Miles was right. She should stick to using the bow and arrow. When she was finished, she put the bow down and picked up an axe.

Calista was there too, but when Ash showed up, she decided to switch stations. She headed on over to try her hand at setting snares, and she was pretty darn good at it. She was so focused on her work that she almost didn't notice Tasi come up behind her. He bent down and started setting his own snare.

"I talked to the girl from District 4…" He said quietly, eyes lowered, "She's unlike the other Careers. I think we should help her out…"

"That's very noble of you." Calista said, almost sadly, "But we really shouldn't bother. Making alliances will only bring pain."

Tasi suddenly realized why Calista didn't want to form an alliance with him. It wasn't just because she didn't trust him—it was because she didn't want to care about him. She didn't want to forge deep bonds that would only be broken.

"Besides, the Careers will still be after her. I want to stay as far from them as I can." Calista added, when her tribute partner didn't say anything.

"Maybe not. She told me she never trained. Maybe they won't want her."

"Well, we'll just have to wait and see."

After that, they continued to work on their snares together in silence.

Mitch was having a ball with all the stations that involved working with your hands—shelters, knots, camouflage, and more. He didn't bother anyone, and no one bothered him. He was quite enjoying himself. The Games were far from his mind. When he was done exhausting what the creative stations had to offer, he headed on over to lift some weights with Caden.

Cassia really wanted to try the obstacle course, but she was too afraid to go anywhere near it, due to the Careers. So she decided to try out the stations she was unfamiliar with…and boy, were there a lot of them.

Having no knowledge of weapons or nature, she headed in the direction of the survival skills station. She also brushed up on edible plants and insects, but she was having a hard time keeping everything straight in her head. She also attempted weight lifting and hand-to-hand combat, but her lack of strength made these activities extremely difficult. _Tomorrow, I'll find a weapon that suits me._ She promised herself.

At the start of training, Cole had remained in the vicinity of the gauntlet to watch the Careers run the obstacle course. He couldn't help but be entranced by Channa—she moved with such grace, yet she was still fast and agile. He felt a pluck of resentment that none of them had approached him, and he was reluctant to remind them of the offer they had made. So he occupied his mind at the hand-on-hand combat station and the weapons stations. He was awful with the bow and arrow, but proved strong with a knife—all of his throws struck the target each time.

After the edible plants/insects, Cara waited until the knot and the fire-making stations were empty. While she was busy trying ignite a pile of leaves, she noticed Drake crossing the training room, looking determined. She was surprised to see he was approaching the Careers—after they had finished at the gauntlet, they had headed to the weapons section. He went straight to Bridon and started talking to him. Cara suddenly felt afraid for him.

"Hey." Drake said, with all of the confidence he could muster, "I want to join you guys. I want to be in your alliance." He offered them a friendly smile. "My name's Drake."

Bridon didn't return it. His cold blue eyes were narrowed. "And how do you plan to be of use to us?" He asked in his deep voice.

"I'm strong. Good at hand-to-hand combat. And I'm flexible when it comes to weapons…I'm especially good with knives, sickles, and axes."

"No." Bridon said, glaring down at Drake's missing hand, "I meant how do you plan to be of use to us with _that_?"

Drake clenched his good fist, rage bubbling up inside him. But he smiled lightly and held it up, so that everyone could get a good look at his stump of a hand. "What, this?" He laughed, "This is hardly a problem. If you want, I'll prove myself to you. Give me that axe."

The other three Careers were looking smug, as if he were some sort of joke. Drake grabbed the axe, easily wielding it with one hand, and started hacking away at the surrounding dummies. He moved quickly and strategically, nailing all of them in potentially fatal spots. When he was done, he turned to face the Careers.

Bridon still didn't look impressed. But before he could say anything, Hip spoke up. "Aw, I say we let him join. We could always use an extra set of _hands_ around here." A big, dumb grin spread across his face. Channa gave a light-hearted chuckle.

"Fine. You're in." Bridon said gruffly, turning away to snatch up a knife. He hurtled it at the nearest dummy, striking its heart.

"Congratulations." Channa said, smiling sweetly at their newest recruit.

"I've gotta _hand_ it to you, dude," Hip said, still grinning, "I didn't think he'd let you join."

Drake forced a laugh, trying to maintain his friendly demeanor. _Great…_ He thought to himself, _now to gain their trust. They won't think I'm a threat, having one hand and all. As long as I can keep from murdering this dark-haired idiot, I think I can pull this off._

The next day, the Careers were out and about, trying to recruit more tributes. Hip and Channa scoured the training room in search of their prey, targeting those that were opposite their gender. Bridon and Sienna hung around the gauntlet and the weapons area, forcing their recruits to show them their skills. Currently, Drake was on the obstacle course being observed by Bridon while Sienna made Bassin demonstrate her skills with a knife.

The problem was, she barely had any skills to show. Sienna realized this, watching Bassin coldly, her expression hard. Bassin was aware of the little girl's piercing gaze, her hands shaking as she missed the target yet again.

Bridon wasn't impressed with Drake either. The District 9 tribute wasn't very fast, and the moving platforms tripped him up a good deal. He looked over at the Career, searching for some sort of disapproval, but Bridon was expressionless.

Meanwhile, Hip and Channa had split up to go recruit the stronger-looking tributes. Both passed over District 3. Channa was going straight for Frederick, when Cole stopped her.

"Hey." He said, smiling, "Remember me?"

"If it isn't Cole." Channa said, tilting her head and irresistibly fluttering her eyelashes. "I missed you. I was hoping you'd come back to join us."

"I meant it when I said I would." Cole said breathlessly.

"Great!" Channa giggled, pointing towards the weapons station, "Then why don't you head on over there and show Sienna that you're worthy of being a Career."

"Will do." Cole said, brimming with happiness. He eagerly headed on over to where Sienna was and grabbed a knife. As he performed alongside Bassin, his skills in stabbing and throwing put hers to shame.

Channa continued on her quest to recruit Frederick. But as she approached, he spoke first. "I haven't changed my mind. I'm not joining you."

"Are you sure?" She said, pushing her bottom lip out in a pout, "Because I would _really _like to have you on our team."

"No." He answered firmly. "Stop wasting your time."

"If I'm here with you, I can't possibly be wasting my time." She said in a seductive voice, running a hand through her hair.

He rolled his eyes. "I guess you don't know a lost cause when you see one." Then he turned and walked away to another station.

She stomped her foot and let out an angry huff. _Big mistake, Frederick. Big mistake. _Then she headed to where Tasi was; currently, he was hanging out with Calista, lifting weights. She tried the same tactics that she had with Frederick, completely snubbing Calista.

"Go away." Tasi said in a low voice. He was glaring at her dangerously. Rage was making his heart pound. He didn't want anything to do with these awful Careers.

Channa didn't push her luck. Tasi and Calista were glaring at her fiercely. The tributes weren't allowed to fight while training, but if one of them took a swipe at her pretty face, assistants wouldn't get over here in time to stop them. So she smirked and said, "That's all right. But when we kill you, you'll have no one to blame but yourself." Then she turned and strolled away before either of them could respond.

Tasi smashed his fist into the nearest wall, trembling with fury. "It's okay…" Calista said in a hushed voice. "If they even try…we'll send them straight to hell."

He looked at her and saw his rage reflected in her eyes.

She approached Shem and Carson, but they easily brushed her off, walking away without a word. Frowning, she approached their last recruit, and quite possibly one of the most important. Abbadon.

"Hey there…I don't believe we've met. My name's Channa." She flashed him a perfect smile. "And you are?"

"Abbadon." He answered, eyes gleaming.

"Abbadon." She repeated, in awe. She reached her hand up and delicately traced her finger along his scar. "Such a powerful name. I assume you know what it stands for."

"The devil." Abbadon responded evenly, letting her brush her hand along his face.

A slow smile crossed her face. "Well, I think the devil would make a great addition to the Career alliance. Don't you think so?"

He smirked. "Yeah. I'm gonna be on a team with Miss Prissy Princess, Demon Child, Neanderthal, and Womanizer. Not likely. I'd rather die in the Bloodbath than be on any team with _you_."

Channa stared at him, outraged. "Wow, um, I really don't think you have the right to be insulting us when you have the worst hairstyle I've ever seen in my life. And that scar? It's hideous. If you manage to win—which you won't—you should really think about getting a new face."

Even as she spit insults at him, Abbadon just stood there smirking. And that only infuriated her even more. She turned and stomped away, eyes searching the training area for Hip. She needed someone to vent to. She spotted him talking to Olivia. As she approached, she caught wind of the conversation.

"…Yeah, I work out. No, I'm not seeing anyone. Well, I'm seeing you right now—I'm looking at you, so I guess that counts as _seeing_ you. But if you wanna take seeing each other to the next level…"

Olivia was looking highly entertained by all this, but Channa came up and started dragging Hip away. "Sorry." She hissed, glaring at the redhead, "He has high standards."

Olivia's eyes narrowed, but she didn't say anything, and turned back to the station she was working at.

"Why'd you do that?" Hip whined, as they walked back to where Sienna and Bridon were, "She was totally going for me!"

"You're supposed to be recruiting tributes for our alliance; _not_ trying to score a date!" She hissed angrily.

"I did try. I checked out Chat and Ash—Chat threatened me! And I tried to score that Julia chick too, but she was playing hard to get. I swear I could have gotten Olivia if you'd given me another minute."

Channa said nothing. She was seething with anger. They came over to where Bridon and Sienna were standing with the newest recruits: Bassin, Drake, and Cole.

"Is something wrong?" Sienna wondered, noticing Channa's ticked off expression.

"I got Cole back. I tried a few others, but they said no."

"What about Frederick and Abbadon?" Bridon asked.

"Abbadon's a jerk. I swear I'll kill him. He better not cross me, because I will freaking murder him."

"Whoa!" Hip was grinning. "I'd like to see that. What did he say to you?"

"I don't want to talk about it." Channa said, gritting her teeth. "How was training?"

"Bassin is no good." Sienna said, even though Bassin was standing right there, "She obviously hasn't had any training. She's not a true Career."

"What!" Channa exclaimed, looking outraged.

Bassin lowered her head. "It's true. I'm sorry. Please let me stay…I promise I can be of some use to you…"

"You might as well." Bridon growled, "Drake is all right with weapons that can be wielded with one hand, but he's slow and failed at the obstacle course. Cole excelled at both."

Drake stayed silent. Cole's eyes were shining as he looked to Channa for praise.

"Seriously? These are our recruits?" Channa moaned, "Well, if we're keeping Bassin, we might as well keep Drake."

"He might be a _hand_ful." Hip warned, smiling cheekily, "But seriously, I say we keep him too."

"I take it you didn't get anyone." Bridon said, rounding on Hip, looking angry.

Hip shrugged nonchalantly. "I tried. Nearly had one, but then Channa showed up." He frowned at her and shook his head ruefully.

"Fine." She hissed, "Go back and try again. I won't stop you."

"Awesome!" He turned and started back in Olivia's direction. He had only gone a few steps when someone reached out and grabbed his arm, stopping him in his tracks. Hip turned and looked up curiously at Shem.

Shem had been keeping an eye on the Careers, and had noticed Hip going around to each girl and flirting up a storm. At this point, he was fed up with it. "You _do_ realize we're here to train, right? Not pick up chicks." He said sternly, eyes narrowed.

For a moment, Hip's face was hard and he glared up at the older boy. But then he relaxed and a friendly smile appeared. "What's your name?" He asked in a controlled voice, his eyes shining maliciously.

"Shem." He replied.

"Shem…" Hip repeated, with a slight nod. "I got you." Then he pulled away and walked slowly back to where the Careers were standing and watching.

Shem looked satisfied, but the rest of them knew otherwise. "I got you" didn't mean he would stop harassing girls. It was a warning.

It meant _he's mine in the Bloodbath._


	7. Interviews

**The interviews were sooo boring to write. They were in two chapters previously, but I shoved them all into one.  
**

**Skipping the scores because who cares about numbers. :P But I did add something else in there…I felt like there needed to be something more between the interviews and the games so I shoved in a ball. XP Don't hate me. I got the idea from Vampire Diaries and I really want to write it. Besides, you get to see more of all the characters…before some of them meet their doom.**

After three days of training, and showing off their skills for the Gamemakers, the tributes finally made it to the day before the Hunger Games. On this day, Panem would finally hear what they had to say. Each of them would have a quick interview with the Hunger Games' newest host, a young star called Caesar Flickerman. After interviews, there was a celebration. The tributes, each donning their formal wear from their interview, performed a traditional dance at the ball. Then they were free to enjoy the festivities for a short while, before heading off to bed for a good night's sleep.

Right now, they were lined up backstage, in order of district. It was ladies first, of course, so Channa was at the front. Her stylist had dressed her in a shimmering, champagne-colored evening gown. She couldn't have been more pleased.

The show began and Caesar's voice boomed, "Hello citizens of Panem and welcome to the 42nd annual HUUUUNGER GAAAAAMES!"

The audience burst into a loud round of applause. Caesar was doing a great job, considering it was his first year. He was talented at motivating the crowd.

"Let's not waste any time and get right to our first interview! You saw her volunteer for her own reaping, you saw her shimmer like gold on the chariot ride…but I think it's time we finally heard from here! Let's bring out: Chanpagne Bordeaux!"

Smiling confidently, she walked onto the stage, waving at her adoring fans. She shook Caesar Flickerman's hand—he took it and kissed it—and then the two sat down.

Caesar wore a sparkling blue suit. His hair, lips, and eyelids were all dyed the darkest black, complimenting it. It made him look dangerous, but the wide smile on his face was anything but. "I must say, Chanpagne, I've been so excited to meet you and see your beauty for myself. And I am not disappointed at all. You look positively stunning!"

The audience burst into another round of cheering.

She brought her hand up to her cheek, turning red. "Oh, Mr. Flickerman! You're making me blush."

He laughed and put a hand on her knee. "Well, it's very becoming of you! But enough about that—let's talk Hunger Games! I'm sure you're excited to be here?"

"Oh, yes!" Channa said, smiling and batting her eyelashes as she usually did. "I'm having the time of my life in the Capitol. My mother has always wanted to live here, and now I see why!"

The audience nodded their approval.

"Your mother, eh? She a big fan of the Capitol?"

"Like you wouldn't believe!" Channa rolled her eyes, "She even tries to talk in the accent! But I love her to death. I love all of my family, even my little brat sister." Ohh, Chardonnay was going to hate her for that.

"A family gal. I'm sure they love you too, for coming here to make the Bordeaux name famous. Now there was another question I had…what would you say is your favorite part of staying here?" Caesar asked, looking amused.

"Ohh, Mr. Flickerman! I couldn't possibly decide!" She laughed lightly, "But I guess, if I had to…I would say the beautiful outfits and the delectable meals. I'm going to miss them when I go into the arena."

"Well, you never know! Maybe the arena will contain a salon and a buffet!" Caesar laughed jovially. The audience chuckled on cue, but quieted as he went on, "I know this is daring of me to ask, since competitors never want to give away their secrets, but I'm curious: How do you plan to win the games?"

"I'll tell you." Channa said, lowering her head mysteriously, "But only you."

She leaned towards him and made a big show of whispering some intricate plan to him, while he pulled the appropriate faces, crying out things such as, "No! Are you really?" and "The other tributes had better be careful!" Really, she hadn't told him a plan at all, and just whispered complete gibberish.

But the audience didn't know that and started to make a big fuss, demanding to know what her plan was.

"Sorry, folks!" Caesar shrugged. "You'll just have to wait and find out!"

Channa gave a light laugh. Then a buzzer went off, signaling the end of their interview. Caesar stood up, shaking her hand vigorously.

"Well, I'm afraid that's all the time we have for now. We have to cover twenty-three other tributes. A pleasure talking with you, Miss Bordeaux. Ladies and gentleman, I give you Chanpagne Bordeaux!" He lifted her hand into the air. The audience screamed approvingly. She smiled, knowing that this same scene would be playing out in a few weeks from now. The only difference was that she would be wearing the victor's crown.

Afterwards, she stepped delicately down from the stage and took a seat in the front row of the audience, reserved for the tributes. Hip was coming out next. This would be interesting.

"He's the one! The only! Hip Hoprock!"

Hip strutted onto the stage, wearing his usual lopsided smirk. He was wearing a red and black pinstripe suit along with a fedora that had a matching red feather. Caesar shook his hand and sat down with him.

"Such a handsome boy, aren't you? I would expect no less from District 1!" Caesar said, patting Hip on the back.

Hip flashed a smile at the nearest camera. "Handsome and unattached."

A couple of fangirl squeals rose up from the crowd.

"Uh-oh!" Caesar grinned. The audience laughed appropriately. "Well, with your newfound fame and dashing good looks, I'm sure you won't remain unattached for long."

"Can't argue with that!" Hip chuckled.

"Now, Hip…" Caesar said, leaning forward, looking a bit more serious, "I think you've made quite the impression on us from the very beginning. Why, when you volunteered and that older boy punched you—ouch! Did it hurt?"

For a moment, Hip looked stunned, as if he could not believe they had just gone from talking about his dashing good looks to him getting socked in the face on national television. But he quickly regained himself and admitted, "Just my pride."

The audience laughed once more. A few of them applauded, but quieted down to hear Caesar's next question. "So why _did _you volunteer at the mere age of 15?"

"I just felt like this was my year, Caesar." Hip said, shrugging, "I know I can win. I'm ready to reap the rewards."

"I'm sure you are. And just what do you plan to do with the prize money once you get ahold of it? Better make sure that your new lady doesn't steal it away from you." He gave the dark-haired boy a wink.

Hip met his gaze, his face grim. "I won't let anyone steal it away. After all, I made a promise to someone." He said, in all seriousness.

"Oh?" Caesar said, more quietly, "And what was this promise?"

"I promised my cat I would buy him a lifetime supply of tuna."

The audience crowed with laughter. Caesar slapped Hip on the back, shouting, "This boy is a hoot! Well, best wishes in the arena, Hip. I'm sure you won't disappoint us."

Hip sauntered off the stage and joined Channa in the front row, as the audience tried to regain themselves. Caesar announced that it was time to bring in District 2, the district they've all been waiting for.

"Please welcome…Sienna Roan!"

Everyone clapped loudly as the 12-year-old took the stage. She was wearing a simple black dress with a silver sequined spear on it, right above her heart. It matched the silver ribbon that held her braided hair together, as well as her light silver and black makeup. She was expressionless as she shook Caesar's hand and sat down.

"So, Sienna. Young Careers are rare, as I'm sure you know. We've all been very eager to meet you." He paused, giving her leeway to say something on her behalf. She just stared at him stonily. So he continued on with his first question, "Are you feeling intimidated by the competition at all?"

"No." Sienna answered, "Why should I be?"

"Well, you _are_ one of the youngest tributes here." Caesar pointed out.

"That doesn't mean I'm any less capable of killing."

The audience was silent, in awe of such a ruthless little girl. Caesar turned to them. "I like this girl's spirit! Now, Sienna, I take it you favor spears. Both of your outfits have featured this weapon. Am I correct or is this just a choice that your stylist made?"

"No, you're right." Sienna said, nodding. "My skill with a spear can't be rivaled."

"Then I'm guessing the Gamemakers gave you that 9 due to your prowess with a spear?" Caesar asked, looking towards the Gamemakers. They weren't supposed to talk about what went on in the training room, so he quickly switched to a different question. "Just how long have you been training with it?"

"Ever since I could hold one." She said coldly, "My dad trained me. He was a past victor."

"Fascinating! Perhaps victory runs in the family."

Sienna narrowed her eyes. "I assure you. It does." She said quietly.

The buzzer went off.

"Well, I'm sorry that's all the time we have. I'm sure the tributes won't underestimate you when the games begin! Good luck, Sienna!"

The audience clapped enthusiastically-there was respect in their eyes for the 12-year girl as she walked off of the stage. She went and took her seat next to Hip, who inched away from her.

"Now, I'm sure you're all excited as I am to meet the favorite for this year. It's none other than Bridon Jakkels, the boy from District 2!"

Bridon came out in a simple black suit with a blue tie that matched his cold blue eyes. Even under his formal attire, you could still see his muscles rippling with power.

"A pleasure to finally meet you." Caesar said, sitting down with him, "So, are you ready to partake in this year's Hunger Games?"

"Yes, I'm definitely ready." Bridon said, nodding, "The other tributes don't stand a chance."

"Y'know…" Caesar said thoughtfully, "I recognized your name as soon as I heard it. Wasn't your father…?"

"Yes, my father was a past victor. My brother was in the games a few years back too."

"I take it he didn't win." Caesar said, looking grim. "I'm very sorry about that." The audience collectively sighed, looking sad for him.

"Don't be." Bridon growled, "He was weak. He made it to the final four and then his ally turned on him. He should have been quicker to kill them before they had a chance to do so." He turned his gaze to the three Careers that were sitting in the front row of the audience and glared at them.

They stared back, very aware that cameras were angled in their direction, waiting for some sort of reaction. When none came, Caesar went on.

"Well, I don't think you have anything to fear. I'm sure you were able to learn from your brother's mistakes, weren't you?"

"That's right." Bridon nodded. "I'm going to be a victor just like my father. And I'm not afraid to cut down anyone who stands in my way."

"I should think not." Caesar confirmed. "Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Bridon Jakkels—the favorite of this years Hunger Games!"

The crowd erupted into cheering. He had a good amount of support—no doubt many of the Capitol citizens were placing their bets on him. He acknowledged their screaming with a simple nod and then went to join the rest of the Careers. They avoided his gaze as he sat down next to him. They knew this changed nothing. They were still a team…it was common sense to know that one point they would all turn on one another.

Up next was Gadgette.

She looked extremely nervous in a puffy lilac dress that came to her knees. She had small purple flowers weaved into her jet-black braids. Caesar greeted her gently and they sat down together.

"You seem rather nervous." He commented, eyes sympathetic.

She swallowed anxiously and nodded.

"Well, don't worry. The interviews are only three minutes. It'll be over just like that!" He snapped his fingers, "You just have to answer a few questions. Are enjoying your stay in the Capitol?"

Gadgette nodded again, thankful that he hadn't brought up her Reaping. "Yes…" She said in a very quiet voice, "Everyone here is very nice…"

"Well, you _are_ a celebrity, after all." He smiled kindly, "Does that include the other tributes? Are they nice to you, too?"

"Oh…well, no, not really." The audience chortled and Gadgette had to resist from hiding her face in embarrassment. "I haven't talked to many of them…my district partner is nice, though."

"Well, we're looking forward to meeting him next." Caesar said, eyes shining.

"…Are we done, then?" Gadgette squeaked out, her face beet red.

Caesar gave a hearty laugh. "Yes, we're done. Take a bow, Gadgette!"

The audience clapped respectfully, but they didn't holler or cheer as they did for the tributes before her. Bowing her head, she slunk off the stage and practically collapsed into her assigned seat. Then she buried her head into her hands and tried to shut out the rest of the world.

"Let's bring in the next one!" Caesar announced.

Jack walked out looking awkward in a flashy red suit. The cuffs of the suit had more gears clicking along and his tie swung back and forth like a pendulum. Among all of the outfits so far, it really stood out.

Caesar complimented him on it as they sat down, motioning towards it. "So Jack…can you explain this suit to me? It's very interesting, very meticulous…"

"Oh, yes." Jack brightened up. "I work as a clockmaker back in District 3. I'm very good with numbers."

"Are you?" Caesar said lightly, "Well, I do hope your talent will be of use to you in the arena…"

"Oh, it will!" Jack was actually starting to get excited; "It's going to give me an advantage when the gong rings and the games begin."

"Do go on." Caesar urged him.

"In my free time, I practice what I call mental training. In my mind, I run for exactly ten seconds without looking at a clock. It's extremely satisfying once I hit exactly ten seconds on the nose. And I do it all the time…it's like my strange addiction. And I'm going to do this during the countdown. As soon as it ends, I'll be the first one off the platform and at the Cornucopia. I'm a really fast runner too. I can run for exactly a mile and I don't need anyone to time me. My best time is 5 minutes, 3 seconds, and 25 milliseconds."

"Interesting." Caesar said, wide-eyed with fascination, "So you mean to say, you can count to the very last millisecond? In your head?"

"I'll demonstrate." Jack said.

Caesar blinked back surprise. "All right. Go for it!"

Jack froze, his face scrunched up in concentration. His mouth was a thin line, pressed tightly together. His balled up fists were shaking ever so slightly. He looked constipated. An awkward silence fell over the audience as they looked at one another uncertainly. Caesar was watching Jack with wide eyes. After ten seconds of nothing, he muttered, "…the interview…" but Jack didn't respond.

After ten more seconds, he held up a hand. He counted down his fingers for each second. Then, right as he hit zero, the buzzer went off. Jack's features returned to normal when Caesar gave him a congratulatory pat on the back. A small smile crossed his face.

"Well, that was certainly impressive! But I'm afraid that means we're out of time." Caesar laughed, "I'll be watching to see if you're the first one to the Cornucopia."

Jack left the stage and Bassin came out next. Her dress was dappled a dark brown, with a red ruby at the center. Her stylist had modeled it after the appearance of a smallmouth bass—what Bassin was named for. She was actually quite fond of the dress, especially the ruby, which was meant to be the bass's eye.

Caesar complimented her on it, saying, "Your stylist certainly has a knack for this. I was in awe when you appeared on that chariot!"

"Thank you." Bassin said, smiling a little bit.

"So Bassin," Caesar continued, folding his hands and staring at her intently, "Do you think you have what it takes to win the Hunger Games?"

She paused. _No, I don't think I do._ She thought inwardly, but said calmly, "I'm going to try my best. I have to."

"You have to." Her interviewer echoed.

She nodded, her face determined. "Yes. I have a family to get back to. I know the same goes for any other tribute, but…" She trailed off, thinking of the perfect life she had led until now, how she so desperately wanted to return to that…

"Do you have a very big family?"

"Yeah, I guess so. I have a mother, a father, two younger sisters, and an older brother." She told him, her heart aching at the thought of them. She missed each and every one of them dearly.

He whistled. "Sounds pretty big to me! And you get by all right? The winnings could come in handy if you don't."

"Yes." Bassin confirmed, "We own a butcher so we've never been in danger of starving to death. If I won, I don't know what I'd do with the prize money…" She paused to think about it, but came up blank.

"Well Miss Zense, you seem to have your wits about you, and you have plenty of determination. That will get you far."

"I hope you're right." She whispered.

"I hope so too." Caesar answered sympathetically, but she knew it was all for show. He had to act like he was _every_ tribute's friend. He kissed her hand and held it up, declaring, "Bassin Zense!" which got the usual response from the audience.

As she stepped down from the stage, Frederick appeared onstage. "My good people, it's time to meet the handsome Frederick Mariner!"

Frederick was looking handsome in a sea green blazer that matched his eyes. Underneath he wore a sea foam V-neck, black pants, and shiny black leather shoes. He also had on light silver makeup and his hair was slightly spiked, giving him a "sea urchin" sort of look. His stylist had done a fantastic job.

"So Frederick! How are you feeling? Excited? Nervous?"

Frederick shrugged. "I'm not nervous. I'm 100% prepared for tomorrow." He answered calmly.

"Being from a Career district, I assume you've had some training, haven't you?" Caesar went on. Bassin, out in the audience, gave a sigh of relief that he hadn't asked _her_ that question.

"Well, District 4 isn't as enthusiastic as Districts 1 and 2 when it comes to training. I actually trained a lot by myself, in secret. My family and friends were all very shocked when I volunteered."

"I like your confidence." Caesar told him, nodding approvingly, "And such dashing good looks—I'm sure you're quite popular back at home!"

"Not really…I'm more of the loner type. I don't even have a girlfriend."

There was a few squeals from the audience—no doubt Frederick fangirls. Caesar picked up on this and gave a loud laugh, "Sorry ladies! You'll have to wait until he wins the Hunger Games to try and land him!"

One loudmouthed girl proclaimed, "Awww!" while everyone else laughed along with Caesar.

"Now Frederick, please don't think me rude for asking, but we're all dying to know how you got that strangely-shaped scar…" Caesar said, once the crowd had quieted.

"I was attacked by a shark when I was 14." He answered simply. There was a collective gasp from the audience. Caesar looked shocked too.

"Look at this boy! Fighting sharks!" Caesar threw an arm in Frederick's direction, and was answered with a round of applause. "I think we'd all like to hear the story behind that, but we're running low on time. Last question: After taking on a shark, do you have what it takes to win the Hunger Games?"

"…We'll just have to see, won't we?" Frederick said mysteriously, the tiniest of smirks creasing his face.

The audience went wild as Caesar held up Frederick's hand and shouted, "Frederick Mariner!" He had definitely just gotten himself onto the list of favorites. He sat down next to Bassin who murmured, "Good job." He replied with a quiet, "You too."

"Up next," Caesar announced, "We have one of our lovable underdogs! Put your hands together for Cassia Teir!"

She walked out, wearing a purple gown with her hair up. It made her look older than she really was. Currently, she was smiling and waving at the audience, but inside, she felt sick. Her mentor wanted her to come out and gush about how great the Hunger Games were, in order to get some sponsors. But she didn't want to do it. She hated the games. And she hated this ridiculous image everyone, including her family, would see.

"So nice to meet you, Cassia! Are you excited to be here?" He asked one of the go-to questions to start the interview.

"Very!" She said, trying to look excited, "This Capitol is like nothing I've ever seen before! I'm loving it here!"

The audience applauded, pleased that this tribute had so much praise for their beloved home.

"I'm so glad you're enjoying your stay." Caesar said, a wide toothy grin spreading across his face. "It's a shame you're headed to the arena tomorrow. I'm sure we'd all like to see you back here."

"I'll be sad to leave the Capitol, but I'm excited for the games to begin." She said, her cheeks beginning to hurt from smiling so much.

Caesar genuinely looked surprised at this. Perhaps this was rare to hear coming from a non-Career. "Oh? And what makes you say that?"

She searched for words. What _was _there to be excited about? "Well, for one, the suspense is killing me." This was true.

"You and me, both!" Caesar said, glancing at the crowd, who murmured in agreement. "In fact, I think you speak for everyone when you say that. But Cassia, I'm sure you've realized your status as an underdog, haven't you?"

"Of course I have." She responded, "But I don't mind. After all, I'm only 12. Besides, it may be an advantage…no one would expect me to make it very far."

"But I can see the sparkle in your eyes…you are going to make it _very_ far, aren't you?" Caesar said, patting her shoulder.

She wondered what sparkle he could possibly be talking about. "I'm certainly going to try my best." She answered modestly.

The buzzer went off and she switched out with Cole. Cameras filmed her reaction after she sat down, but she was far too tired to keep up the façade. She wiped the fake smile off her face and sat back to watch the rest of the show.

Cole appeared in a black suit with gold trim, reminding everyone of the lightning bolt that had been emblazed on his chest during the chariot ride. He shook Caesar's hand and sat down to his interview, his eyes searching the audience. Then he caught sight of Channa and smiled at how radiant she was in her gown.

Caesar noticed this, but completely missed the mark when he guessed, "Feeling intimidated by those Careers down there? They're a tough bunch."

"Oh no, not at all." Cole said happily, turning to Caesar, "In fact, I've joined their alliance."

The Careers appeared on one of the big screens as cameras zoomed in for some sort of confirmation. They stayed still, eyes glued on Cole, uncomfortable that he was bringing everyone's attention back to them.

"That's interesting that they would let you join, when you're from District 5. But it's not unthinkable. Stranger has indeed happened." Caesar smiled at some unknown, past memories, "Does District 5 offer some sort of training program?"

"Oh, no." Cole shook his head, "My father passed away in a power plant meltdown last year. I took it upon myself to train in case I ever needed to protect my mother and my little brother…I never thought I'd be chosen for the Hunger Games." His throat tightened with the usual sadness that came when thinking of his father.

"I am truly sorry about your father." Caesar said quietly. Cole looked into his eyes, doubting that, but the host really did look contrite. "At least this training has prepared you for what lay ahead. I'm sure the Careers will be grateful to have you."

"I should hope so." Cole said, smiling softly, but avoiding the gaze of those in his alliance.

"Now, there's one last question I wanted to ask, but I haven't gotten the chance to yet. Do you have any guesses as to what the arena is this year?" Caesar smirked mysteriously and the audience started whispering in hushed voices.

Cole hesitated. "…Do _you_ know what it is?" He asked, lifting an eyebrow questionably.

"Maybe." Caesar answered, eyes sparkling as he waited for Cole's answer.

"Well…I'm gonna guess it's a forest arena. I know the Gamemakers favor that. I _really_ hope it's not a desert or an ice arena, because if it is…" He took a finger and swiped it across his throat, laughing without humor.

Caesar laughed along with him. "I hope so too! Ice arenas are such a bore."

Cole narrowed his eyes. "So you _don't_ know…"

"What is it?" Some impatient fellow from the audience called out.

The buzzer interrupted him, as Caesar chided that everyone would have to wait and see. "Let's welcome Chat Darner to the stage!" He exclaimed, bringing in their next tribute.

Chat strolled out, grinning. Her top resembled a dragonfly. It cascaded down into a flowing dress made of flower petals. It was light yellow and white in color. A dragonfly hairclip that matched her top was pinned in her hair.

"You look lovely!" Caesar complimented her, as soon as he laid eyes on her.

"Thanks." She said cheerfully, twirling in her dress, and then taking a seat beside him. "My stylist is pretty awesome."

"You couldn't be more right! But what's the significance of…?" He slapped his forehead in realization, crying out, "Oh! Darner dragonflies! Your last name is Darner. Oh, that's very, very clever."

"Isn't it?" Chat responded, having no idea what else to say to that.

"So Chat, what's going to give you an edge in this year's Hunger Games?" Caesar asked, gazing at her intently.

"Well I don't want to sound like I'm bragging…"

"Oh, no! By all means, brag!" He chuckled.

Chat smiled. "All right. If I do say so myself, I've got a pretty good head on my shoulders. I was raised to be street-smart and cautious. I won't be making any stupid mistakes while I'm out in the arena."

"Well that's good to hear." Caesar said, looking serious, "Were you raised to be 'street-smart' because you're from District 6?" He looked out towards the audience, who were laughing uproariously. District 6—the transportation district. Brilliant.

"Ha, ha." Chat said, rolling her eyes good-naturedly, "Actually it's because I've had to look out for my little brother everywhere I go. He's always sticking his nose in places it doesn't belong."

"Well then, I hope he's getting on all right now that you're gone." Caesar said, still looking triumphant over his previous joke.

"He has our aunt to look after him…" She said quietly, "Until I get back."

"So you believe you have what it takes to win the games?"

She clenched her skirt in her fists, determination flaring in her eyes. "Of course I do. I told Trail I would." She said, looking directly into the nearest camera, knowing that he was seeing every second of this.

The buzzer went off and the audience erupted into applause. The smile returned to Chat's face as she stood up and curtsied. Then she took a seat beside Cole, ready to watch her space-case of a tribute partner take the stage.

"The one! The only! Mitchell Anthony!"

Mitch wore an interesting number. It was a purple and teal pinstripe blazer with a matching purple tie and pants. He also had on a black vest that showed off the same wheel-like buttons he had worn on the chariot ride.

"So Mitch—is it okay if I call you Mitch?"

Mitch was too busy staring out into the audience, his mouth hanging open in awe. Then he realized he was being interviewed. "…What?"

Caesar gave a hearty chuckle, and the audience followed suit. "I asked if it was all right if I could call you Mitch."

"Oh yeah. Of course." He gave a small smile. "Sorry, I have bad hearing."

"You have bad hearing?" Caesar echoed, looking concerned, "My, my, I'm so sorry. That certainly won't help you win the games."

"Guess not." Mitch shrugged. "That's what I get for blasting the radio all the time, I suppose."

"Oh, really? I'm a music lover myself. What's your favorite song?"

"It's so hard to decide…" Mitch said, brightening up, eager to talk about his interests, "There's so many good ones."

"I agree wholeheartedly."

"Whatever I'm listening to at the moment, I guess." Mitch shrugged.

"It's a shame you won't have any music to listen to in the arena. Of course, there's always the Capitol Anthem that plays at the end of each day, but you'll want to be paying attention to see whose faces appear in the sky that evening."

Mitch had zoned out halfway through Caesar's spiel on the anthem. "If I could get my hands on the right tools, I bet I could build a radio." He said half-heartedly, "I'm good with my hands."

The audience was snickering, wondering if this boy could possibly be serious. Who would waste their time building a radio when they should be trying to survive? _He's gone in the Bloodbath for sure._ Everyone acknowledged silently. Chat just sat there, shaking her head repeatedly. "What an idiot." She muttered aloud.

"Well…" Caesar said, trying to stay serious as best he could, "I certainly hope you can get ahold of your radio." A smile cracked across his face and he lost it completely. Mitch blinked, confused as to whether or not he had done something wrong. The buzzer went off after that. "Okay, well I think it's time for you to go. Mitch Anthony, everybody!"

Everyone applauded, watching him slip off the stage and join Chat in the front row. Caesar joined them in clapping, standing up and starting to make his way off the stage.

"Very well done, folks! We're going to take a brief intermission and then we'll be back with the rest of our tributes!"

**I apologize if the interviews aren't extremely long. They're pretty dull to write over and over again so I just gave each tribute about a page.**

**Also, fun fact! Chat and Jack are based on two obscure video game characters. I wonder if you can guess who…? Probably not, but here's a hint: masks! If you guess correctly, you win bread.**

**Also, I made a mistake. I made this Caesar's first year of interviewing, but in the book it says he's been doing it for over 40 years. Whoops. My bad.**

**Okay, that's all for the intermission (which was obviously there for the lull between chapters).**

"And we're back! Moving on to District 7, we have…Calistaaa Sirrom!"

Calista walked out looking beautiful in a strapless ball gown covered in red, orange, and yellow leaves. Her curly hair was even pinned up with a shiny gold leaf ornament. She had a heavy coating of orange and brown makeup on her face. She had changed from a green tree of summer into a colorful autumn tree.

"Calista…" Caesar repeated, shaking her hand and motioning for her to take a seat, "I love that name. It's quite pretty, just like the girl it belongs to."

"Thank you." She said politely.

"I've been dying to meet you," Ceasar said, motioning for her to take a seat, "We've all been wondering what made you volunteer at your Reaping, before they even read the name."

Deciding not to blurt out that she was a rash idiot, she told him, "I was scared one of my sisters would be chosen. I wasn't thinking."

"So you weren't just excited to volunteer or anything like that?" Caesar asked, sounding slightly disappointed.

Calista shook her head. "No."

"Well, that's too bad. Are you nervous about tomorrow?"

What kind of question was that? Who _wasn't _nervous? It was a life or death situation for crying out loud! But she lied, "No, actually. I'm feeling pretty good about the games."

Caesar looked surprised. "Well, good for you. May I ask where all of this confidence is coming from? Are you working out a plan for the arena?"

"After watching the Hunger Games play out for years, I feel like I have what it takes," She said, sounding a lot more confident than she felt, "I know I don't stand out like some of the others, but just watch me. I'll surprise you."

The audience burst into a round of applause, drowning out the sound of the buzzer. Her faked confidence had obviously made an impression. Caesar grabbed her hand and raised it high, announcing her name once more, and declaring, "She'll surprise you!"

Then Calista left the stage, catching sight of Tasi waiting to go on. He wore a dark green shirt with sleeves that wrapped around his arms, resembling vines. They emphasized just how big his muscles were. His pants were a matching dark green that faded into black going down his legs. His long, curly hair was down and well-groomed.

"Tasi!" Caesar said, shaking his hand firmly, "You look like a tribute to be reckoned with! Look at those muscles!"

"Yeah. I work out." Tasi said, not sure what else to say to that.

"So tell me about yourself—you haven't been secretly training too, have you?"

Tasi shook his head. "No. I have a job in a lumber yard….it's made me strong."

"Well, Tasi, I think you're very lucky. District 7 has produced victors in the past. And some of them have resembled you—muscular, good with an axe…"

_Lucky? _Tasi thought sourly, _Yeah, if you call being abandoned by your father, laboring in a lumber yard as a child, and being reaped for the Hunger Games lucky._

"…And ready to kill." Caesar finished.

Tasi didn't answer right away. Despite his fierce appearance, he knew he wasn't capable of killing another human being. He was a gentle giant. But with all of the eyes of Panem watching him, he couldn't say that. It would be sealing his fate, making him a target for the Careers. "That's right." He confirmed, allowing himself a sly smile. The audience looked on, impressed.

"Well, then, the other tributes had better keep their eye on you."

"They had better." Tasi agreed. He glanced down at the others. The Careers had on a "challenge accepted" sort of look to their faces. Less confident tributes looked intimidated. Tasi suddenly wondered if he should have said that—would this make him a target or keep everyone away from him?

"Answer one more question for me." Caesar's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Since they're probably watching you as we speak, is there anything you'd like to say to your family?" He motioned to the nearest camera and Tasi peered closely at it.

His mother had died while giving birth to him and who knew what had become of his father after abandoning him…the only family Tasi had was his adopted father, the boss of the lumber yard. He was probably at work right now. The only other family he could think of was Hope.

But she wasn't watching TV. She was sitting in front of the train station, waiting for her master to come home.

Tasi looked away from the camera. "No." He said firmly.

Caesar shrugged. "All right, then. Tasi Merkava!"

The audience clapped for him respectfully, some of them probably planning to place their bets on him. But the interview made him feel glum, and left him wondering if he had said the right things. He went and sat down next to Calista without a word.

"Now give a big hand for…Ash Frustlock!"

She appeared in a midnight blue dress that cascaded all the way down to the floor, resembling a waterfall. She wore high, gold heels that complimented the blue and her hair was styled in a cute, spiky cut.

"Frustlock! What a powerful-sounding name." Caesar said approvingly, after they sat down.

"Thank you." Ash said respectfully, hands folded in her lap.

"I presume that the girl is as strong as the name?" Caesar asked, arching an eyebrow.

Ash hesitated, glancing at the other tributes. "You bet." She tried to say with as much confidence as she could muster.

"So Ash…what makes you so special?"

Ash suddenly felt as if she were experiencing déjà vu. She flashbacked to the train ride, where Abbadon had sneered at her and wondered if she had what it took to win the games.

She swallowed and gave him the same answer: "I'm pretty smart." She thought of bringing up how she could solve riddles, but then she remembered that the arena wasn't going to be the set of a quiz show. "I can fend for myself." She finished.

"So you have good survival skills." Caesar confirmed, "But what if it comes down to a fight?"

Ash was so skinny and lacked any muscle. It was obvious that she would fail if it came down to a fight. But if she managed to grab some arrows and a bow, no one would be able to come anywhere near her. Not wanting to give away her tactics, she quickly answered, "They'll have to catch me first."

"Then you're a fast runner. I wonder if you can outrun Jack?" The audience murmured quietly, remembering the strange boy from District 3.

"I can run fast…and for a long amount of time, too." Ash said quietly.

"Hmm…well, depending on the arena, let's hope there's room to run!" Caesar said mysteriously. Ash froze up, immediately reminded that the games were tomorrow. And what exactly did he mean by that? He didn't know what the arena was…he couldn't know. But what if it was true? The arena could be filled with deep snow, or water, or it could be a thick jungle… "Ash Frustlock, everyone!"

With her mind racing, she barely noticed him call out her name one last time. She walked off the stage in a daze. She regained her focus when he called the next tribute's name.

"Abbadon Sirus!"

Abbadon strolled across the stage confidently in a shiny, blood red blazer. He also had on a black button-up shirt and black pants, along with a matching polka-dotted ascot. Dark eye shadow had been applied to his face, making him look even more threatening than usual. He shook Caesar's hand firmly, with his usual smirk.

"That's an interesting fashion statement!" Caesar commented, pointing at Abbadon's hair as soon as they had exchanged greetings, "But I suppose if you win, then it'll become all the rage, won't it?"

"It will." Abbadon promised.

"I know this is forward of me, but may I ask how you got that scar?"

At this, Abbadon narrowed his eyes, suddenly looking dangerous. "Yeah, it _is_ forward of you. You think just because you're some hotshot TV host you can ask people personal questions and get an answer? Jerk."

Caesar blinked, obviously taken aback. He had been expecting to get the same treatment Frederick had given him, and shouldn't have assumed he would. But, he hadn't been chosen to host the Hunger Games for nothing. He quickly recovered. "Forgive me, Abbadon. Sometimes I get too ahead of myself and my mouth moves faster than my mind."

"Obviously." Abbadon snorted.

Caesar ignored the jibe and said lightly, "So Abbadon…you seem to be about the same age and size as Bridon, the favorite. Tell me, if it came down to you and him, who would win?"

"Me, of course." Abbadon answered without hesitation. He looked down, seeking out Bridon in the front row to look for a reaction, "I'm still wondering how on earth that idiot got chosen as the favorite."

Bridon met Abbadon's gaze and the two stared one another down for a long moment, eyes glaring, jaws clenched.

"You know, the Careers actually came and asked me to join their little alliance." Abbadon said slowly, looking at all four of them. "But I said no. How strong can they be if they need to mooch off others to survive?"

A long silence followed his words. It seemed that every single big screen in the building contained the image of a Career. But none of them so much as batted an eyelash. They all stared intently at Abbadon, faces void of emotion. After what seemed like forever, the buzzer broke the silence.

"Well, I can't put into words how excited I am for the games to begin." The host said in a hushed voice, his eyes sparkling. In other words, he couldn't wait to see these tributes go at each other's throats. "Ladies and gentlemen, Abbadon Sirus!"

Only when Abbadon got up to walk off the stage and the audience burst into applause, did Channa lean over Hip to whisper to the others, "He's number one on our hit list. Got it?" Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Up next, her name may be Carasadni, but since that's too much of a mouthful, we know her as…Cara Antwip!"

The audience applauded and chuckled at the same time. Cara walked out in a long and flowing dress that shimmered in the light. It was a warm shade of gold and orange, with deep gold studs at the bottom, on the sleeves, and at the neckline. There was a faint grain pattern on the dress, showing that her stylist highly favored sticking to the grain theme.

Caesar complimented her on it, and then launched into his first question. "So Cara…how are you feeling right now? Nervous for tomorrow?"

She widened her eyes innocently and looked out into the audience. "I miss my family." She said, with just the right touch of sadness.

There was an audible, "Aww!" that emanated from the crowd.

"Oh, that's sweet." Caesar said sympathetically, "Well, they're probably watching you right now, so is there anything you'd like to say?"

She found one of the cameras and looked into it. "I'm coming home." She promised. There was a sigh from the audience. Her angle was working. Her mentor knew what she was talking about.

"So how are you going to do that?" Caesar said, looking interested, "What tricks are you hiding up your sleeve?"

"It's a secret." Cara said, smiling mysteriously.

"Come on. You can tell me."

"Then it wouldn't be a secret anymore!" She protested, giggling. The secret was, she didn't have a secret. This was all a bluff for sponsors…and to maybe scare the other tributes off. Her mentor had come up with the idea. She hoped silently that it would work.

"Does it have anything to do with the 7 you scored from the Gamemakers?"

"Not telling!" She grinned.

"Fine." Caesar sighed, making a big show of being disappointed. "I suppose we'll find out sooner or later, won't we?"

"Don't worry. Everyone will find out eventually." She said, smiling mischievously at the tributes in the front row. The Careers and Abbadon didn't look too impressed. Gadgette was fidgeting nervously and Jack was making the same constipated expression he had on earlier, no doubt counting down the seconds of her interview. A few others looked uncertain, while some were obviously zoning out, such as Mitch.

Then the buzzer went off. "Cara Antwip!" Caesar declared, as she stood up and swept into a perfect curtsy. "Up next, we have another of our favorite underdogs! Iiit's Drake Cell!"

The audience grew extremely excited to see him. He may not have had the best odds, but he was memorable. And here he came, dressed in a simple tux with extra long sleeves that covered his missing hand. But the audience began to chant for him to roll it up and be proud. Even after he greeted Caesar and sat down, they were still yelling at him to do so. Finally, he obliged, rolling up both of his sleeves. The crowd roared approvingly at the sight of his stump.

"Sounds like you have a lot of fans!" Caesar exclaimed after the audience had settled.

"I guess so." Drake said, grinning, "I'm glad. Thanks for your support, everyone."

The crowd applauded this statement. Caesar quieted them by reminding them that they were on a strict schedule. Jack nodded approvingly from his seat.

"Anyways, how's your stay in the Capitol been? To your liking, I hope?"

"It's been incredible." Drake said with a nod. Some idiot started to clap more, but the crowd quickly shut them up.

"Everything went well in training, then? What do you think of the competition?" Caesar asked, looking serious.

"Yeah, training was fun. Trying out all of the stations was a blast. As for the competition…I'm not intimidated. I think I'll be fine, as long as Hip stops making hand puns at me. Otherwise I might end up killing myself just so I can't hear him anymore." Hip looked up in surprise at hearing his name. "All in good fun, bro." Drake said good-naturedly, waving his hand.

Hip frowned. He hadn't been paying attention.

"Speaking of your hand…" Caesar spoke carefully, "Do you think that will hinder you in the arena?"

"Of course it will." Drake answered, with confidence, "But that doesn't mean I'll let it. I have plenty of other attributes that'll help me get by."

"And I suppose you won't be wanting to share your tactics with the people of Panem?" Caesar asked hopefully.

Drake laughed. "Sorry, but no. Wouldn't you rather wait and be surprised?"

"That's true. It'll give us more to look forward to." Caesar said, eyes shining.

"You won't be disappointed." Drake promised.

The audience could no longer hold it in and burst into another round of cheering, drowning out the sound of the buzzer. "Drake Cell, everyone! Up next we have…Olivia Rohaki!"

Olivia stepped out in a gold and black dress. The golden markings weaving through the top of the dress matched her gold necklace, heels, and earrings. Her auburn hair was up, with a few strands down to frame her face. She appeared calm on the outside, but on the inside, her heart was pounding furiously.

"Olivia! You look beautiful tonight!" Caesar greeted. Even though he had gone through so many tributes already, he never lost his enthusiasm.

His congeniality was comforting and Olivia offered him a smile. "Thank you." After they sat down and began the interview, she grew more and more confident with each question.

"So what do you think of the other tributes so far?" Caesar asked right off the bat.

She looked out into the audience, as if regarding the others. "Eh, they're not so tough." She said sarcastically, rolling her eyes in the direction of the Careers. It was a daring move, she knew, especially if they didn't understand humor.

"I love to see some confidence coming from the poorer districts!" Caesar declared, "Oops, there I go again. I'm so sorry, Olivia."

"Oh, please don't worry about it." Olivia smiled sweetly, "I'm not offended. My family is well off."

"Well that's good to hear. Whew!" He pretend to wipe imaginary sweat off of his forehead, resulting in a few chuckles from the audience. "What's your family like?"

"We raise horses. I help run the farm with my dad." She told him.

"Then I bet you enjoyed the chariot ride."

"I did!" She exclaimed, beaming. She almost wished she could go back and redo it. Petting the horses was a comfort, and she would have liked to wave to the audience instead of trying to match Shem's seriousness. They seemed to be taking well to the more charming tributes. Well, now was the time to change that.

"So Olivia…back to the Games…what do you think will give you an edge in the arena?"

She paused to think about it. She didn't have some amazing strength she would prefer to keep hidden, so she just told it like it was. "I'm pretty strong from working on the farm. I'm glad we've had time to train before going to the arena because I've had the opportunity to discover what I'm capable of."

"Such as?" Her interviewer urged her to go on.

"I'm pretty good at tracking, thanks to my experience with animals…and I'm not too bad with knives."

"That's a popular choice. You'll have to be quick in getting to the Cornucopia if you want one." Caesar said, his face somber.

"I don't—" Olivia started to say, but the buzzer cut her off. She frowned. She wanted to make it clear that she wouldn't be foolish enough to run for the knives, but it didn't matter. The audience would just have to be surprised.

"Next up, we have Shem DoAHAHAHAHA!" Caesar burst out laughing at the sight of Shem in a cow-patterned tux and a hat with what appeared to be golden goat horns branching off of it. The entire audience was hooting with glee at the ridiculous outfit he was wearing.

"My stylist hates me." Shem mumbled, his face a bright red as he shook Caesar's hand.

Caesar quickly composed himself and said kindly, "I'm so sorry, my dear boy. Let me try that again…Shem Dog, everyone!"

The crowd clapped, still snickering.

"I'm guessing you raise cows…" Caesar said, observing Shem's get-up.

"Goats, actually." Shem responded, straightening his white bowtie.

Caesar nodded, and then launched into questions having more to do with the games. "So Shem—you're one of our older tributes, aren't you? You're 18. Do you think that'll make you a target?"

Shem frowned and shook his head. "No. If anything, I think it gives me an advantage. Age can be intimidating, just like height."

"No, I completely agree with you." Caesar said, "And you've got both on your side. That has to be a confidence booster."

"It is." Shem confirmed.

"So self-assured! Both you _and _your district partner. I take it you think you have a pretty good chance of winning the games?"

Shem's face was dead serious. "Yes. Yes I do." He answered, his face filled with an intense determination. "I strongly believe that I have what it takes."

"Even after seeing what the rest of the tributes have to offer, you still refuse to falter. I like it!" Caesar said, eyes shining with anticipation, "Shem, is there anything you'd like to say to them…or to Panem in general?"

Shem turned to look into the nearest camera. His face filled every big screen there was. "Just because I have certain weaknesses does not mean I am not capable of winning." He declared.

There was a loud snort from the front row. Hip sat there, smirking, arms defiantly crossed across his chest. It went unnoticed, however, as the audience had started clapping after Caesar announced Shem's name one last time.

"We're quickly nearing the end…" Caesar told everyone, "But don't count these tributes out just yet! It's time to meet Julia Stark!" She had on a simple, elegant dress with faint patterns of leaves along the bottom. Her auburn hair, which was usually up, reached down to her shoulders.

"Nice to meet you, Julia. I must say, you looked quite pretty in your chariot costume the other night."

"Oh, yeah." She said in a bored tone of voice. She had been hoping they would talk Hunger Games. But then she remembered her manners and added a quick, "Thanks."

"By your build, it's easy to tell that you're a hard worker…I wish I could say the same for me." The host grimaced, getting a good response from the audience, who shouted reassurance to him. "Do you work in the orchards?"

"A bit," She answered, "Most of the time I just try to take care of my family. Cooking, cleaning, the works."

"Hmm, well if you ever catch a break, come on over to my place. It's an absolute mess." He joked.

"Yeah, that's not going to happen." The audience chuckled at her response and she couldn't help but smile a little bit. "Now c'mon, Caesar, I'm here to talk Hunger Games." She said bravely. A few approving shouts emanated from the crowd.

"Excellent!" Caesar said, a big grin stretching across his face, "I was hoping you would say that! Which part of the games are you looking forward to the most?"

"Seeing the other tributes' faces when I win!" She declared. Everyone laughed uproariously. The other tributes rolled their eyes, not finding her comment extremely tasteful.

"I like your spirit." Caesar complimented her, "Do you have any tricks up your sleeves? Or do you prefer to be spontaneous?"

"I'm spontaneous. I'll have to be, considering I have no idea what the arena is going to bring."

"True, true. You strike me as the spontaneous sort too. It's quite charming, really."

This time she remembered to say thank you.

"So Julia…any special lad that you fancy stuck back in District 11? Or are you gleefully unattached?"

Julia paused, remembering that poor boy that had asked her to hang out after the Reaping. So much for that. At least she had never made a promise she wouldn't have been able to fulfill. "Gleefully unattached," She said coolly, "But I won't deny that some of these handsome tributes haven't caught my eye."

"Ooooh." The audience gasped, sounding very interested to know who she meant.

The tributes all looked at one another, wondering whom she could possibly be targeting, and just why she would do that with the situation they were in. "She's nuts." Chat grumbled. Frederick hid his face, having a sneaking suspicious that she meant him. At that moment, the buzzer sounded and Caesar bid farewell to Julia. Up next was Caden. He was wearing black dress pants and a black top with light brown leaf patterns on it.

"Caden Amaranth! So good to meet you."

"Same." Caden said quietly.

"Another shy one, I see." Caesar noted as they took their seats, "Are you always this quiet?"

Caden allowed himself the smallest of smiles. "No, actually. You wouldn't think so, but I love singing and dancing."

"We had another music lover here earlier! I bet you'd be good friends with Mitch." Everyone looked towards the brown-haired boy, but he was in his own world. "Would you mind putting on a small performance for us?"

Caden shook his head quickly. "Ha, no thanks. I only do it around my family."

"It might get you sponsors."

"Sorry." Caden smiled wryly.

"Oh, don't worry about it. I completely understand. So have you come into the games with any other talents that you think might be of use?"

Caden paused, thinking carefully. "I don't see why singing and dancing wouldn't be of use."

Caesar truly looked surprised. "And what makes you say that? Are you going to…sing someone to death?" He cracked a smile.

Caden forced a laugh. "No. I just feel so strongly about what I do…my singing, my dancing…it connects me to nature, and its rhythm. There's a rhythm to everything, and through it, we're all connected. We…" He blinked, as if suddenly coming out of a trance. Then he lowered his head, looking embarrassed. "Sorry."

"No, don't be." Caesar said in a hushed voice, "It's wonderful to see someone speak with such passion about something they love. Don't you all agree?"

Everyone applauded approvingly.

"Best of luck to you, Caden." Caesar said, patting him on the back. "And last but not least, it's time to meet the tributes from District 12!"

Ellis was wearing a pretty, yellow dress that reached down to her knees. The dress was covered in bright little feathers, and her stylist had even draw some feather designs on her arms. Aside from that, she also sported a black belt and black gloves. She knew she was supposed to resemble the canary that coal miners used back in District 12, but she was doubtful anyone else would know.

"So Ellis," Caesar began solemnly, "I think we're all interested to know why you volunteered for this year's Hunger Games. In fact, we're all very fascinated by you and your district partner—two volunteers from District 12! It's been a long time since something like this has occurred. So…why did you do it? Did you know the little girl who was reaped?"

"No," Ellis said quietly, "I have no idea who she was."

"Then…why would you sacrifice yourself in her stead?" Caesar asked, mystified.

"Because I couldn't stand to see her life taken away from her…" Ellis answered in a scared, quavering voice. She knew she was venturing into dangerous waters. Insulting the tradition of the games would make her a target for the Gamemakers. "She was so scared, crying out for her mother like that..."

"But what about _your _life?" Caesar questioned, "How did your family respond to your decision?"

Ellis balled up her fists, wrinkling her dress as she did so. "I have no family." She said in a low voice. Sympathetic murmurs arose from the audience. She could see thousands of eyes, each of them filled with pity, all on her.

"I'm so sorry. Please forgive me." Caesar apologized, truly looking upset with himself. "I just assumed…"

Ellis shook her head. "It's okay…I never knew my parents anyways…"

"How difficult that must be for you." Caesar said, taking her hand and holding onto it tightly, "How ever did you manage to get by all these years?"

"My brother took care of me." Ellis whispered. "But then he was reaped."

A silence followed her words. No one even had to guess what had happened to him.

"Ellis, you are a survivor." Caesar said to her firmly, "You've made it this far. I have no doubt that you'll go far in the arena. Ellis Cade, everyone!" He lifted her hand up high and the crowd cheered enthusiastically. Her sob story had obviously reached out to many of them—but she wished that she hadn't shared it at all. She didn't want them knowing of her tragic past. That was hers and hers alone.

"And now, for our final tribute of the day…give it up for Carson Rivera!"

Carson was dressed rather casually in tan pants, a blue blazer, and a white bowtie that matched his shoes. His face was void of emotion as he shook Caesar's hand and sat down to begin the final interview.

"So, Carson…if I recall correctly, you volunteered for your brother, did you not? What was his name again…Benry?"

"Bentley." Carson corrected him.

"And what did Bentley think about all of this?"

Carson hesitated, recalling his final goodbyes to his brothers. Ronnie had been so wide-eyed and terrified. And Bentley had looked at him with those accusing eyes… "He was upset with me. Asked me why I did it."

"And what did you say?"

"He's my little brother. I'd have to be the worst person in the world not to take his place." Carson answered simply.

Caesar nodded, satisfied. "I assume that your brother is tuned in so he can see you…what would you say to him right now, if he were watching?"

Carson found a camera and said firmly, "Stay strong. I'm gonna try and come back to you."

The audience let out a collective "aww!" and applauded him.

Carson looked away, uncomfortable with this much attention. Finally, the buzzer rang.

"I sincerely hope that you can make it home to see your brother again." Caesar said, shaking Carson's hand. "Until then—Carson Rivera, everyone!"

The audience applauded and didn't stop as the other tributes were led back onto the stand. There they stood, side by side. The audience went wild, leaping to their feet and screaming until their voices were hoarse. When their noise level had slightly lowered, Caesar made the final announcement:

"Panem, I present to you the tributes of the 42nd annual Hunger Gaaames! Remember to tune in for tonight's ball and place a bet for your favorite tribute on the way out. Until them, I'm Caesar Flickerman! Good luck tributes, and may the odds be ever in your favor!"


	8. The Ball

**And here is the extra chapter I came up with—the ball! Don't worry…the Games finally begin in the next chapter. I promise. :) Just make sure to leave a review! I like this chapter.**

That evening, a few hours after the interviews, the tributes gathered in an outdoor ballroom to proceed with the formal dance. The set was beautiful, held in a vast garden with all sorts of flowers and trees growing. Decorations such a pillars and arches were wrapped in vines and spilling over with roses. Buffet tables overflowing with hundreds of different foods, many of which the tributes had never seen, were set up off to the side. A fountain spewed a dark, purple liquid—wine. To top it off, a dance floor had been installed at the center of it all.

A few cameras were set up, but this was a private occasion. Only a few esteemed guests were allowed to attend—Gamemakers, governors, and others held in high regard. They barely interacted with the tributes, however. No one wanted to talk to a child that would most likely be dead the following day.

The initial dance was live, but after that, the tributes were free to mingle and the cameras were shut off.

To begin, the pairs of tributes walked out to the dance floor in order of district. The traditional dance performed was simple, and the tributes had learned it in no time at all. The tributes would line up, facing their district partner. The boy would bow and the girl would curtsy, and then they would begin the dance.

But they would not touch one another. They would hold out their hands, palms out, and they would circle each other. Then they would switch hands and circle around once more. The fact that they weren't allowed to touch was symbolic. It represented the fact that the tributes could not forge bonds—they had to remain detached from the others in order to win.

Three times, the tributes circled. Then they joined hands with their partner and began a normal, slow dance, stepping gracefully. This was supposed to signify that Panem was still one—and under the Hunger Games, all 12 districts of it were united.

Finally, the dance came to an end and the tributes released one another while onlookers applauded respectfully. Then the real fun began. Fast, upbeat music pounded through the air and colorful lights flashed wildly.

At first, the tributes dispersed and headed in the direction of the banquet. The dance floor was left empty for a long time, but the music started getting to Caden. He couldn't resist it any longer. He fearlessly headed to the center of the floor and started busting some serious moves.

Everyone watched him go, impressed.

For the first time since he had left his district, Caden finally felt at peace. If he closed his eyes, he could almost imagine he was back at home with his siblings, dancing the day away. Mitch, a fellow lover of music, bobbed his head in approval, but didn't go out to join him. Jack held his hand out to Gadgette and asked if she wanted to dance with him.

"We might as well enjoy ourselves while we're alive." He said grimly, his eyes wide.

Gadgette agreed and they headed out to dance alongside Caden. They had to be the most awkward dancers there. Jack was rigid and danced like a robot, moving perfectly to the beat while Gadgette tried to keep up.

"Stay in step!" Jack snapped, when her feet didn't match up to his own.

"Seriously?" She said, staring at him.

Caden paused to watch and ended up laughing at them. Then he showed them how to just let loose and have fun.

Meanwhile, everyone else was loitering around the buffet table or the wine fountain. Cassia approached Cole, who was currently feasting on the leg of a turkey and garlic mashed potatoes.

"Cole, we need to talk." She said quietly, sitting down next to him.

He looked slightly surprised. "Okay. What about?"

She took a deep breath and launched right into the speech she had composed. "Just what do you expect to gain by joining the Careers? They're awful human beings. They've been raised thinking it's okay to kill innocent people. I know you like that girl from District 1 a lot, but you can never be with her. Only one victor can come out of this. She's just _using_ you."

"She's not using me!" Cole protested, refusing to listen to reason. "The Careers are my friends. They accepted me into their alliance."

"Because they're using you!" Cassia growled impatiently, "They'll just kill you whenever they get sick of you. Haven't you watched past Hunger Games?"

"Channa is different." Cole whispered, "I know she is. She likes me too."

"You're just fooling yourself now." She desperately wished she could have beaten some sense into him, but it clearly wasn't going to work.

"No! I'll show you…" Cole said, looking angry. He turned and headed off to find the Careers, leaving Cassia behind. She sat there, shaking her head sadly. Cole was so blind. _Well, no one can't say I tried… _She thought, feeling glum.

The four major Careers had gathered and staked out a spot near the edge of the dance floor. They were currently discussing what to do with their new recruits.

"We should just kill them all." Sienna said bluntly, "As soon as the Bloodbath ends."

"No," Hip argued, "We don't even know what the arena is yet. They might end up being useful to us. We should keep them around and kill them when we don't need them anymore."

"All of them? Bridon questioned, lifting his eyebrows.

"If we're going to kill anyone, we should just get rid of Bassin." Channa hissed, eyes darting around to make sure no one was eavesdropping. "She's so useless and has had zero training. If she can't kill or defend herself properly, then we should just dispose of her."

"Bassin's still a Career." Bridon said firmly, "What if there's water in the arena? We should hold onto her. If anything, we should kill Drake. He's just a cripple."

"You want to kill Drake?" Channa said, looking surprised.

"Give me one good reason why we should keep him around."

"Hand puns." Everyone turned to look at Hip, who was grinning. Then he quickly changed faces and grew serious. "But seriously, it's like you've all been saying—we don't know what the arena is and he just might come in handy."

Everyone gave him a withering look.

"…That one wasn't on purpose."

"Well then," Bridon growled, glaring down at the other male tribute, "If you feel that way, maybe we should replace _you_ with Drake."

"Okay, screw it." Hip said, looking disgruntled, "I don't even care. I'm gonna go dance. You in, Channa?"

"No thanks." She said icily, "I already danced with you once today. It's not happening again."

He shrugged and headed off to find an unsuspecting female tribute that would fall for his charm. The others watched him go. Cole came walking up seconds later.

"Hey Channa," He greeted, his face slightly red, "Would you like to dance?"

She started to say no, but then Bassin came wandering over. "I would love to." Channa said quickly, taking Cole's hand and allowing him to lead her in the direction of the dance floor.

The three remaining Careers watched them go.

"I have never wanted to drink more than I do right now." Bassin said miserably.

"Don't," Bridon warned, glancing in the direction of the wine fountain, "It'll screw you over for tomorrow. Like that kid from District 12."

Currently, Carson was clinging to the edge of the fountain, seeping in and out of consciousness. He had chosen to drown his sorrows in alcohol; not the wisest decision the day before the Hunger Games. Ellis noticed this and came over.

"What are you doing?" She whispered in horror, "You have to represent our district tomorrow at the games! Get yourself together!"

Carson groggily lifted his head at the sound of her voice and tried to focus on her face. He looked extremely confused.

"Come on!" She tried to haul him to his feet, but her arms simply weren't strong enough to lift him.

"No," He spoke quite loudly, completely red in the face, "I assure you, President Snow, I'm fine. I will not stop until I've had my fill!"

She gave up and let him go. He pitched forward and fell with a splash into the fountain. He remained there, unmoving, and for a moment Ellis thought she had killed him. Then he lifted his head, smacking his lips in a satisfied sort of way.

Trying not to cry, Ellis left him where he was and went to sit by herself at the end of the buffet table. She set her head on the table and buried her face into her arms, trying to block out the rest of the world. A few minutes later, someone was at her side.

"In need of a little pick-me-up?" A deep voice asked.

She looked up into the gleaming hazel eyes of Abbadon. He was clutching two glasses of wine, holding one out towards her.

"No thank you." She squeaked, her heart pounding furiously at the mere sight of this dangerous-looking tribute.

"Aw, c'mon. You'll feel a lot better, trust me." He said, shoving it towards her. She shook her head in protest, but he snarled, "Take it!"

She gave in and accepted it. But he would not leave her alone until she had finished it. Then he took the glass back and headed off to refill it. She sighed and laid her head back down. The alcohol made her feel tired, but she had only drunk a small amount. Hopefully, it wouldn't affect her in the morning.

Abbadon refilled the wine glass and went in search of his next victim. He got Mitch to drink some without much of a hassle and tried to force some on Ash, but she hissed, "Get away from me!" and proceeded to put as much distance between her and her district partner as she could. She felt disgusted that she had been forced to dance with him.

When the coast was clear, Ash sat down across from Mitch, who didn't acknowledge her presence. He seemed pretty out of it—she couldn't tell if it was because of the wine or if was just because he was always like this. Probably the latter.

She picked half-heartedly at a frosting-filled chocolate cake, thankful for Mitch's silent company. She watched as Abbadon crossed the dance floor to offer one to Chat. She accepted it, but he continued to stand there, trying to intimidate her into drinking it.

She caught on right away. "You're going to stay here until I drink this, aren't you?" Chat said, narrowing her eyes. Abbadon didn't respond, but his eyes were gleaming mischievously. "Well, I hope you don't mind standing here the rest of the night."

Abbadon didn't try his luck and left her standing there without a word. He grabbed a new glass and cornered Calista, but Tasi came to her rescue.

"Can I help you?" Tasi growled, glaring at the older boy.

"Just seeing if the lady wanted a drink." Abbadon said smoothly, and then excused himself. They watched him slink away to find some other poor sap.

"Are you okay?" Tasi asked.

"Of course I am." Calista answered, smiling, "You showed up just in time."

"…Would you like to dance?" Tasi blurted it out before he knew what he was saying.

Calista's smile vanished instantly. She bit her lip, looking uncertain. "Tasi…" She began to say, but he cut her off.

"I know you don't know whether you want an alliance or not, but we might as well enjoy ourselves while we're here." He held out his hand, inviting her to take it.

She hesitated, and for a moment he thought she would reject him. But then she reached out and tentatively took it. "…Okay…" She said quietly, with the slightest trace of sadness. He led her out to where Caden and the others were; there, they danced their troubles away.

Hip circled around the dance floor, eyes searching for a girl that had not yet been snatched up. His eyes fell on Julia and he vaguely recalled her checking him out, back before the chariot rides. He got his swag on and went right on over. "Hey." He greeted, flashing a smile at her. Blush was creeping into her cheeks. "Wanna dance?"

"No thanks." She said immediately, turning her head away from him.

Hip frowned. "You know, you can stop playing hard to get. You're not impressing anyone."

"Who says I _want_ to impress anyone?" She snapped back, crossing her arms defiantly.

"C'mon. Just dance with me. You know you want to." He arched an eyebrow and held out his hand.

"No means no! And that's final!" Julia declared fiercely.

Hip let his hand drop. He shrugged nonchalantly, sighed, "Fine." And turned away.

Julia watched him go, feeling angry with herself. _You idiot…you stupid idiot! _She screamed inwardly. _A cute guy was asking you to dance and you turned him down! Way to go. Just…way to go._

She looked around, trying to find a different guy to dance with. But the handsome one from District 12 looked as if he were about to be sick and the District 4 boy was off on his own. _Frederick._ She remembered. He was such a lone wolf. He had just been keeping to himself the entire night, sampling the array of food on the tables. He obviously didn't want to dance with anyone…

_I guess I'll just be on my own tonight…_

Caden must have noticed her stewing in her misery, because he came over. He was grinning from ear to ear and bursting with energy—she had never seen him like this before. "What's wrong?" He asked, searching her face for an answer.

"Nothing." She choked out, but her voice betrayed her.

Caden didn't push her for an answer. He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the dance floor. "C'mon! I know what will make you feel better." She couldn't help but smile as he roped her into a round of dancing. Caden's excitement was contagious. After spending some time with him, she felt much better.

After Julia's rejection, Hip approached Ash. She saw him coming and, already angry about Abbadon's advance on her, snapped at him, "Go away! Don't you ever give up? I don't want anything to do with you Careers!"

Hip completely changed directions and targeted Chat instead. Despite her threatening him the day before, he wasn't deterred. Besides, she looked awfully pretty in her dragonfly getup. "Hey there, Chat." He greeted, coming up to stand beside her.

Chat looked him up and down. "You look like a pimp." She commented.

"Thank you." Hip said with a wink.

Chat rolled her eyes, then offered him the glass of wine she was holding. "Care for a drink?" She said with a false sweetness.

"Nice try, sweetie." Hip said, pushing her hand away gently, "But I prefer to stay sober and judgmental." He nodded in the direction of Carson, who was now passed out on the floor.

"Then we have that in common." She tossed the wine glass over her shoulder and let it smash on the ground behind her. The crunching of it gave her a small amount of satisfaction. It was nice to destroy a part of the Capitol; even it was just a little wine glass.

"Would you like to dance?" Hip invited.

Chat was about to turn him down, but she realized that this was a good opportunity to squeeze some information out of him. "Okay…" She agreed slowly, "But don't try anything funny or you won't live to die in the Hunger Games tomorrow!"

Hip gave a small laugh and led her out to the dance floor.

Someone had been watching their exchange and couldn't help but feel slightly jealous. Olivia found herself wishing that Hip had asked her to dance. After all, he was pretty good-looking and had been flirting with her the day before…so why hadn't he? She sighed, feeling disappointed.

Shem, who was extremely perceptive, noticed right away that something was wrong. "Don't tell me you're wishing he had asked _you_ to dance?" He groaned.

Olivia looked at him, shocked that he would say that flat out. "I just…I wanted to dance with someone." She mumbled, embarrassed.

"Well why would you want to hang around with a guy who plays girls? That Hoprock kid is a little punk." He narrowed his eyes, watching disapprovingly as Hip danced alongside Chat.

"Sorry." Olivia apologized, "Like I said, I just wanted to dance with someone."

"Well then you can dance with me." Shem said firmly.

Olivia's eyes widened in surprise. "Really?" She hadn't expected him to say that.

"Yeah. Come on."

The dance floor had filled up considerably since the start of the night. A slow song began to play and the tributes, already paired off, held one another and moved slowly back and forth.

Channa and Cole didn't speak, enjoying one another's company. She kept a sweet smile plastered onto her face the whole time. But at one point, she looked over Cole's shoulder to see Abbadon standing there and her smile vanished. She glared fiercely at her competitor. He smirked and raised the glass he was holding, mouthing, "Cheers!"

Channa spun Cole around, a little bit too roughly, just so she wouldn't have to see that hideous scarred face that ticked her off to no end. But Cole didn't even seem to notice. Everything Channa did was perfect in his eyes.

Jack and Gadgette had been dancing together for a long time, and still held the lead for "most awkward couple imaginable." Gadgette tried to get Jack to loosen up, but he was so rigid and serious, he barely seemed to be enjoying himself. Every time he missed stepping on the beat, it seemed to ruin his night just a little bit more.

Olivia was enjoying herself, happy to be part of the many couples that were dancing. Shem actually brightened up and became cheerful. It was nice to see him not acting so serious for a change. He was a pretty terrible dancer, but he never stopped smiling. And that was what made the night memorable.

Tasi and Calista danced quietly for a bit, but then Calista said quietly, "I'm so sorry I've been going back and forth on an alliance with you, Tasi…but really, I think we should keep our distance after this."

"I agree." He said quietly, "But let's enjoy this moment for what it's worth."

She bowed her head, her bright green eyes swimming with sorrow. Then she rested her head on his chest and let the music take her mind off of things.

Caden and Julia swept across the floor. Julia had barely danced in her life, but with Caden taking the lead, they put everyone else to shame. She allowed herself a glance at Hip, currently dancing and talking with Chat. She strained to catch what they were saying, but then realized she should stop caring so much. So she pushed the dark-haired boy from her mind and lost herself in the dance.

"You know, it's not too late to join the Careers." Hip said, as he and Chat moved slowly back and forth, "I could put in a good word for you."

Chat frowned. "Who all is a Career?" She asked slyly.

"Me, Channa, Bridon, Sienna, Bassin, Cole, and Drake." Hip listed each one.

"I don't know. Sounds like too big of a crowd for me." She quickly made up an excuse. "Besides, I know you guys like setting up traps, and I don't want to accidentally be caught in one."

Hip frowned. "Where did you hear that? None of us set up traps…"

She gave an inward sigh of relief. "Oh, sorry. I don't know why I assumed…"

"We prefer to go straight for the kill." Hip said, his eyes shining excitedly.

"Oh yeah? What weapon do you use?" She tried to make the question sound as innocent as possible.

Hip grinned, finally catching on that she was trying to pull information out of him. "I'm not telling you. Don't you want it to be a surprise?"

"Oh, come on! A helpless little girl is asking you…" She pushed out her lower lip and batted her eyelashes.

"You'll have to wait until it's lodged somewhere in your body to find out." Hip said with a charming wink.

"Or I could just kill you and steal it off your corpse." Chat said, copying his wink.

"That works too."

The slow song was about half way over when Cara approached Drake. "We need to talk, but I don't want anyone getting suspicious or listening in. Let's go over there."

They headed to the emptiest corner of the dance floor, put their hands at one another's waists and started to rock back and forth slowly. Little did she know, Cara was about to give Drake the same speech Cassia had just given Cole. But before she could even begin, Drake cut her off.

"You want to know what I'm doing with the Careers." He stated, his voice lined with fatigue. She looked into his weary gray-blue eyes and gave a short nod. He sighed and explained, "Well, obviously having one hand, I'm set at a disadvantage. I'm going to have a better chance of surviving if I stick with a group."

"But there are plenty of people here that would form an alliance with you," She pointed out, "You're a good guy. And even though your hand disables you…you still have a fighting chance."

"Trust me, I considered the options," Drake went on, "But I decided to go with the Careers."

"But why?" Cara asked, "They're terrible people. They'll turn on you and kill you!"

"I have a plan, Cara," Drake said, leaning towards her. They had ceased dancing at this point, as the song started drawing to a close. "I'm going to join them and prove my worth. Earn their trust. No matter how long it takes, I'll keep trying. Until they trust me enough to leave me on guard at night…"

"And then?" Cara breathed, knowing what was coming.

Drake paused. The music had stopped and was replaced by silence. He leaned in close to Cara, his lips at her ear. His voice was barely a whisper.

"Then I'm going to kill them in their sleep."

**:O**

**Let's just say that the ball was discontinued in the future because there were many complaints about the privatization of the event and the hungover tributes in the arena the next morning. I got the idea for this from the party held in Catching Fire and this scene in Vampire Diaries. Check it out (hopefully the link works):**

** www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=10SVwR8K9mI**

**I've derived a teensy bit of Hip off the extremely sexy Damon, seen here, such as the lopsided smirk. But enough of my fangirling. Who's ready for the Bloodbath? :D**


	9. The Bloodbath

**I combined the Fake Bloodbath and the Real Bloodbath because the joke only works when it's being updated the first time around and I'm ditching you guys to go on vacation. :P Enjoy!  
**

The morning of the Games, each tribute prepared themselves for what lay ahead. They filled their stomachs to the best of their ability and dressed comfortably. Time flew by, and before they knew it, they were boarding the hovercraft that would take them to the arena.

Each one of them had a tracker injected into their arm through a needle. Bassin gave a terrified shriek as it was painfully inserted into her forearm. Channa rolled her eyes and gave an audible huff. But no one was paying any attention. A grim silence filled the hovercraft as they lifted off from the ground and embarked on the short trip to the arena. At one point, Carson threw up, but no one made any comment on the matter. They were all focusing on the Hunger Games.

A few minutes into the ride, someone started whimpering. No one said anything at first, but the whimpering grew louder and louder and began to form words…

"We're mortal…we're all mortal…"

Everyone turned to look at Jack. He was clutching his knees to his chest, rocking back and forth. His eyes were glazed and sweat was pouring down his face.

"The clock is counting down the seconds we have to live…with every tick of the hand, we're closer to our death…all mortal…"

"Shut up." Abbadon growled.

Jack jerked, as if suddenly brought to his senses. Then he sunk back down into his fetal position, but he didn't speak after that. He just kept staring straight ahead. Gadgette reached out and took his hand, for her own comfort as much as his. But he didn't seem to notice.

_Maybe the two of us can form a team once we enter the arena._ Gadgette thought hopefully, realizing that she should have worked harder to forge an alliance with someone.

It seemed all too soon when the hovercraft arrived at their destination.

"I'll see you on the other side." Cole said, brushing his hand on Channa's cheek, his blue eyes warm. She smiled sweetly.

"Good luck, bro!" Hip said, going in to give Shem a man-hug. Shem pulled away with a glare and went to stand with Olivia.

"Be careful." She warned him, knowing that if she died early, he would have to win for their district.

Tasi looked at Bassin, nodding. _You know what to do. Come find me. _He seemed to say. She swallowed nervously.

Then the stylists came to take everyone away, cutting goodbyes short. Each was taken to their own separate room for last preparations. Then, a loudspeaker told them that it was time to go.

Each entered into a tube that would lift up through the ground into the arena. They would have sixty seconds to take in their surroundings and observe the goods the Cornucopia had to offer. If they stepped off the platform early, mines planted in the ground would blow them to pieces. This was common knowledge thanks to previous Games. Each and every one of them basically knew what was coming, but they had no idea what the arena would be like. They could only imagine.

Finally, the countdown started and the 42nd Hunger Games was a go.

As the tributes were lifted to the surface of the arena, light flooded their vision, blinding them briefly. For a moment, they all stood there blinking, shielding their faces from the sun that beat down on them. Then, the arena came into view.

Everyone seemed surprised that it wasn't a woods or jungle setting—in fact, it was quite the opposite. It was a pristine city, with skyscrapers towering over them. The buildings weren't as tall as the ones in the Capitol, but they definitely put the homes in the poorer districts to shame, being anywhere from 5 to 10 stories tall.

Between the buildings, one could glimpse shimmering blue waves and a strip of sand. The waves could be heard faintly, pounding on the shore. Towards the southern end of the beach stood an ominous outline of a Ferris wheel, silhouetted against the bright blue sky.

But the Cornucopia was not located in the city or on the beach. Rather, it was placed on a high, grassy hill, dotted with cherry trees and birch trees in full bloom. Bunnies and squirrels nibbling on grass tensed up at the presence of humans. Tulips and daffodils grew in bunches. A fountain, not far from the Cornucopia, sprayed the air with a pleasant mist that drifted over the tributes. It would have been a peaceful scene, if not for what was coming…

_**25**_

A man's voice was blaring on the loudspeaker. Cara caught sight of a backpack, a straight shot in front of her, but dangerously close to the Cornucopia. Her weapon of choice, a scythe, was probably inside. She glanced to the tributes on her left and right. Frederick and Sienna. _Careers. _Was it worth the risk?

_**24**_

Carson's head was pounding unbearably. The sun appeared five times brighter than it should have been and he felt as if he was going to pass out. The arena appeared to be pulsing and undulating, all of the bright colors blending together to form one swirling mass of confusion. He felt as if he were going to puke any second, which was not the thing to do when there were mines at your feet.

_**23**_

Channa was disappointed that Frederick and Abbadon weren't anywhere near her. _So much for revenge._ She thought grumpily. Then she looked to her left to see Bassin on the platform beside her. _Hello, Bassin_. She thought to herself, a smile spreading across her face. As if she had heard her thoughts, Bassin turned her head.

_**22**_

Bassin could see Channa smiling at her out of the corner of her eye. But she couldn't read her fellow Career's expression at all. She suddenly felt nervous. But then, right at the base of the Cornucopia, half-hidden by grass, was her hammer. She wouldn't go down without a fight. And if she didn't make it out of this…it would be nice to finally awaken from this terrible dream.

_**21**_

To Chat's right stood Bridon. Her heart fell at the sight of him. She glanced behind her at the cityscape. _I'm just going to run for it._ She thought to herself, determined to get away at all costs.

_**20**_

Calista searched the line of tributes, looking for the familiar curly-haired ponytail that belonged to Tasi. There! He was a good distance away, almost on the other side of the Cornucopia. She silently hoped that they could both make it out alive.

_**19**_

Frederick swept his gaze over the crowd. Two girls he couldn't remember the names of were on either side of him. He noted that he couldn't see Bassin, and that she must be on the other side of the Cornucopia. _Good luck, kid._ He thought quietly, thankful that he wouldn't be forced to kill the frightened girl from his own district.

_**18**_

Caden looked around nervously. He was surrounded on either side by two gigantic male tributes. The one with the curly ponytail and the one with the mohawk. His initial instinct was to run and hide, but then he caught sight of the knives. He didn't want to have to kill anyone, but he knew that those knives would be the key to his survival.

_**17**_

Sienna felt like laughing. A spear, her weapon of choice, was not far from her platform at all. The Gamemakers must have provided it after seeing the prowess she had in throwing it. She prepared to sprint, confident in her speed. She was a fast runner. That spear was as good as hers.

_**16**_

Julia leered at the boy to her left. He was the good-looking one from District 12. He looked like he was about to be sick, but that didn't make him any less handsome. _Okay, Julia, time to get your mind off men!_ She scolded herself. _You need to come up with a plan, and fast!_

_**15**_

Ash's mind was racing furiously. _Do I run? Or should I try to grab a weapon?_ A bow and a quiver of arrows was a little ways from her, off to her left, tempting her. And the two tributes that were closest to it didn't seem particularly threatening. _I just might be able to do this…_

_**14**_

Cole was relieved to see Hip at his side. No doubt his fellow Career would have his back in the fight that was coming. This gave him confidence. He swept his gaze over the Cornucopia and locked on to a set of knives. Then he tensed up, quivering with anticipation, itching for the gong to ring so he could run straight for the middle.

_**13**_

Hip looked to his right to see the nearest tribute. His eyes lit up at the sight of Shem and he gave a short bark of laughter. Shem heard and turned his head. The two locked eyes. The corner of Hip's mouth curled into a lopsided smirk.

_**12**_

Olivia had been quick to take everything in. To her left was the muscular boy with the mohawk, and not too far away was a backpack that had her name written all over it. She also caught sight of her fellow tribute, Shem. He had the misfortune of being placed next to the District 1 boy, Hip. She hoped silently that he could make it out of the bloodbath alive.

_**11**_

Shem glared at Hip with all of the courage he could muster. The younger boy's eyes were shining with malice, despite the wide grin that was plastered on his face. It wasn't hard to guess what he was thinking. _Yeah, you can try…_ Shem thought angrily, ripping his gaze away from Hip to look towards a bow and arrows he had spotted.

_**10**_

Mitch felt as if he were in a dream. He could hear each number as the announcer counted down, but he couldn't seem to register any of them. He stood there, trying to focus, his legs shaking ever so slightly. _As soon as the gong rings…_ He told himself, _As soon as the gong rings…_

_**9**_

Jack was practically twitching with anticipation for the countdown to end. He counted each millisecond in his head, timing it perfectly so that he would be the first one off the platform, racing with his inhuman speed towards the Cornucopia.

_**8**_

Cassia heard a low moaning sound and realized it was her, whimpering. She scanned the tributes desperately for Cole, knowing that the sight of him would comfort her. But she couldn't find him. _He's a traitor anyways._ She thought tearfully, _He joined the Careers. I can't count on him now._

_**7**_

Bridon was stretching and flexing his muscles, aware of the terrified glances that were being thrown his way. To his right, the wimpy OCD kid and the helpless 12-year old. To his left, dragonfly girl and Drake, his teammate. He caught Drake's eye and gave him an encouraging nod.

_**6**_

Ellis was aware of the two boys to her right that were apart of the Career pack. Her insides were squirming with panic. She wondered if she could get her hands on the knife set by the Cornucopia. But if she did, would she really be able to go through with killing the others? _My life depends on it…_ She thought dryly, _I have to do it._

_**5**_

Abbadon smirked, bent over in a crouch, like a tiger preparing to spring on its prey. Already a plan was forming in his head. There was a set of knives that everyone seemed to be looking at, but he knew the deadliest weapons would be inside the Cornucopia. And that was where he aimed to go.

_**4**_

Tasi was debating whether or not to run in and grab something. He wasn't surrounded by threatening tributes…the only one that seemed to pose a real threat was Abbadon, two spots down from him. If he decided to attack someone else, he could get in and out safely, slow runner or not.

_**3**_

Gadgette stood as still as a statue, trying to ignore the tributes around her to the best of her ability. She knew the scary 12-year old was next to her, but she didn't dare make eye contact for fear of breaking down again. Instead, she prepared to escape in the direction of the city.

_**2**_

Drake wasn't nervous. The two girls on either side of him were no threat. And one over from them stood Bridon and Sienna. They would back him up. Then he could get into the Cornucopia and grab an axe or a sickle, whatever it had to offer. _I hope you're watching, Pin…_ He thought silently.

The whole group collectively tensed up as the countdown neared its end, preparing to run…

_**1—"NOW!"**_

A shrill, banshee-like scream pierced the air before the countdown could finish, followed by the sound of an explosion.

The gong rang and all hell broke loose.

Cassia screamed, horrified as she watched Jack leap from the platform a millisecond too early. The mine detonated and he was blown apart in an instant, his blood and skin spattering her body. She was so terrified that she didn't even realize the gong had rung.

But Bridon did.

He hadn't even flinched when Jack had been blown to smithereens, but he had noticed Cassia's screaming. He came rushing at her, clearing Jack's smoldering remains in a single bound. She stood there, petrified, as the boy's hands met with her throat.

It was over with a single twist of his wrist.

While most of the tributes ran for the Cornucopia, Chat took advantage of her window of escape and ran for safety. Calista, Mitch, and Carson did the same.

Mitch, narrowly avoiding Bridon's wrath, sprinted north, in the direction of some thin woods that were apart of the city park. He could still hear the snap of the 12-year old girl's neck ringing in his ears as he ran.

Carson half-stumbled, half-ran away and nearly fell into the fountain. Luckily, no one pursued him. He quickly gathered himself and headed towards the city.

Calista headed in the opposite direction, sparing a glance behind her as she went. She could see Tasi running towards the Cornucopia. _Tasi, no!_ She thought frantically, but it was too late to turn back.

Everyone else ran straight for the treasures that the Cornucopia had to offer.

The first ones to reach the center were Hip, Sienna, Frederick, Ash, and Caden. Hip and Frederick disappeared inside the Cornucopia, while Sienna snatched up her spear that was lying against it. She turned and chucked it at the nearest tribute, which so happened to be Gadgette.

Gadgette had hesitated at the beginning of the Games, shocked when the first life was taken in front of her eyes. But as everyone around her ran for their respective weapons, she thought she had the chance to duck in, grab a backpack, and make a break for it.

She hadn't counted on Sienna's speed or aim.

The spear pierced her throat and she collapsed to the ground, choking on her own blood, tears pouring from her face. Sienna ran towards her and mercilessly yanked the spear out, eyes searching for her next victim. Gadgette's last thought was of Gizmoe, the brother she would never see again.

Meanwhile, Frederick had slipped in and out of the Cornucopia, as agile as a fox, coming away with a trident and a backpack. He ran straight into Ash, who had gotten her hands on a bow and arrow. She quickly tried to string an arrow, but Frederick was at too close of a range for her to shoot. He ran straight for her, driving the trident deep into her stomach. Then, not even bothering to make sure if she was dead, he ripped the trident out of her and ran in the direction of the beach.

Ash struggled to breathe, but pain shot through her body. The life was bleeding out of her, she knew. She prayed for a miracle. Then, someone was at her side. It was Shem—he was trying to rip the bow out of her hands. Her grip tightened reflexively and she clung to the bow as if she were clinging to life itself.

"Give it…!" Shem grunted.

Suddenly, something smashed into the side of Shem's head, bowling him over. He was dead before he even hit the ground, the pointed spikes of a mace buried deep into his skull. Hip tore the ball and chain out of the dead tribute, blood flying in flecks as he did so. He smiled triumphantly, eyes shining at his perfect revenge.

He spared a second to kick at Ash's body. She was clearly dead, her eyes glazed and lifeless. Then Cole screamed for Hip's help and he was off like a rocket.

Many of the tributes had aimed for the knives and an all-out brawl had started over them. Cole was on the ground, tussling with Caden. Cole was overpowering him, trying to get his fingers around his opponent's throat, but Caden was barely managing to hold him at bay. Ellis had reached the knives and had one in her hand, but now she just stood there, as if she couldn't decide whether to kill the boys in front of her or not.

She didn't have long to think about it, because Abbadon appeared.

The group of tributes was right in his path. He joined the fray immediately, grabbing Ellis's throat, and proceeded to choke the life out of her. She dropped her knife and it practically fell into Cole's hand. He snatched it up and began to stab repeatedly at Caden's flesh. The poor boy tried to get away, but the Career had him pinned to the ground. He struggled futilely for a moment more, and then lay still, bleeding from multiple wounds.

"Cole!" Hip shouted a warning, "Mohawk at twelve o'clock!"

Cole turned to see Abbadon coming towards him, Ellis's discarded body behind him. Cole, brandishing his knife, fearlessly sprang forward with Hip at his side. Abbadon hesitated, knowing a lost cause when he saw one. He couldn't take on two Careers, each armed with a deadly weapon.

So he turned and ran, snatching up a small backpack as he went. Cole stopped his pursuit, letting him go. But Hip wasn't so willing to let his prey escape. He continued after him, easily catching up to the larger boy. He was just bringing the mace back to swing it, when Abbadon turned around, fist raised. He punched Hip so forcefully that it sent him sprawling onto his back. But instead of finishing him off, Abbadon took the opportunity to escape.

In the chaos, no one had noticed Olivia slip in, grab the backpack she had been targeting, and steal away with it. Julia and Cara went the extra mile.

_I must be insane…I must be insane…! _Cara thought frantically, dodging around both Frederick and Sienna to get to the Cornucopia. Inside hung her scythe. She grabbed it and was out of there instantly, as fast as her injured foot would allow her to go. She nearly tripped over a dead body, but she caught herself and kept going.

A spear whizzed right by her ear, but she didn't dare look back.

Julia had made it inside the Cornucopia, grabbed the first backpack she saw, and was now searching frantically for her best weapon, a pair of arnis sticks. But she ran straight into Channa, who had gotten her hands on a pair of small, needle-sharp swords—sai. Julia reeled backwards, narrowly avoiding being impaled, and fled from the Cornucopia.

Cursing, Channa tried to pursue the girl with the ponytail. But as she exited the Cornucopia, she spotted Bassin cowering on the ground outside. She had managed to obtain the hammer and was clutching it to her chest. Channa felt rage building within her.

"Why aren't you fighting?" She hissed, grabbing Bassin by the arm and dragging her to her feet, "You're a Career, aren't you?"

"Yes!" Bassin cried out, struggling to free herself from Channa's grip.

Channa's eyes sparked dangerously. "Then prove it."

Channa dug one of her swords into Bassin's side. The poor girl gave an agonized shriek. A burst of adrenaline allowed her to pull away from her attacker. But instead of running for it, she brought her hammer smashing into Channa's face. Both of them screamed with fury and pain. Blood poured heavily from Channa's nose. She lurched forward, her face contorted with rage.

She thrust her sword up, under Bassin's ribcage, directly piercing her heart. Bassin's eyes widened dramatically for a moment. Then her legs gave out from under her and she slumped lifelessly to the ground.

Panting and trying not to cry, Channa turned to see Drake rushing towards her with an axe in his hand. "Channa!" He cried out, "What-!"

A loud choking sound erupted from his throat, cutting him off. For a moment, he stood there, swaying. Then he pitched forward, revealing Bridon holding a large, bloodstained knife. He was hunched over slightly, panting, glaring down at the body of Drake. Blood pooled around the neat red wound the knife had carved.

"Bridon!" Channa practically shrieked, "What did you do that for? He was on our side!"

"So was she." Bridon answered, nodding at Bassin's unmoving body. "Check for stragglers."

The Career pack spread out over the hill, looking for anyone who remained. But they had all escaped, most in the direction of the city. The Bloodbath was over, having only lasted a total of five minutes. Tributes had been desperate to escape. Many had succeeded—many had not.

When the Careers were through surveying the area, they gathered at the Cornucopia. With Bassin and Drake dead, there were five of them: Hip, Channa, Bridon, Sienna, and Cole. Injuries were minimal. Cole had a few bruises and scratches from his tussle with Caden and an ugly bruise was throbbing on Hip's cheek, just under his eye. Channa's broken nose was the worst of it.

"Channa!" Cole cried out at the sight of her bloodied face, "Are you okay? What happened?"

"That little brat Bassin got me with her hammer." Channa said dryly, casting a glance at Bridon. _There._ She thought bitterly, _I killed her in self-defense. Don't judge._

Cole started hurriedly opening the remaining backpacks. In the third one, he found a towel. "This might hurt…" He said softly, gently mopping away the blood, "Your nose is a little crooked, but I don't think it's too serious. Can you breathe through it?"

"It's crooked?" Channa wailed, "My beautiful face!"

"It's still beautiful!" Cole said quickly, "But does it hurt?"

Channa started crying without abandon. "Why did it have to be my FACE? Why? I'd rather lose a leg! Now I _definitely_ have to win so I can get plastic surgery."

Cole didn't say anything. Considering she was more upset about her new nose than the pain, he guessed that it didn't hurt that much and kept dabbing at it as gently as he could. Hip was bounding in circles, clearly exuberated.

"I killed Shem!" He sang, and then skidded to a sudden halt, face curious. "By the way, what was that explosion at the beginning? I thought I heard someone scream 'NOW!' too, but I figured that was just some jerk trying to throw us all off."

"Jack Newman—OCD kid—got a little bit excited and stepped off the platform early. Happened right next to me." Bridon answered in a gruff voice.

"Seriously?" Hip burst out laughing, as if a 16-year old being blown sky-high was the most hilarious thing he had ever heard of.

"You're way too excited." Sienna commented, looking at him with narrowed eyes. She turned her gaze to Bridon, as if she were going to say something else, but then she just stared at him pointedly. He noticed this.

"What are _you_ looking at?" He growled. Sienna lifted a finger and pointed at his shoulder.

"Newman." She said simply.

Bridon turned his head to see a bloody scrap of skin just chilling on his shoulder. He groaned in disgust and brushed it off.

Hip snickered, "Well it's too bad he's gone. I got a kick out of him. Speaking of people I get a kick out of, where's Drake? I feel a hand pun coming on…"

"He's dead." Channa answered wryly. Her nose had finally stopped bleeding, but her skin was still stained a rusty red color. "Bridon killed him."

Hip looked disappointed. Before he could say anything on the matter, the cannon that signaled each death in the arena went off. They all fell silent, listening and counting each blood-chilling boom.

"Seven…eight…nine…" Channa murmured.

Then it stopped. They waited a long moment, listening for more, but none came.

"Only nine?" Sienna looked immensely displeased. "We didn't even make it into the double digits…"

"Darn it." Hip sighed, his energy from before suddenly spent. "I should have gone after Mohawk."

"I suppose they'll be wanting to collect the bodies. We'll have to clear out." Channa said, half-heartedly kicking at Gadgette's limp head. "What should we do until then?"

A sadistic smile suddenly crossed Bridon's face.

"Anyone up for a little hunting?"

**RIP Jack, Gadgette, Bassin, Cassia, Ash, Drake, Shem, Caden, and Ellis.**

**Stay tuned because things are about to get interesting! :D**


	10. An Impossible Game

The survivors that had escaped the Bloodbath spread out over the city and the beach, exploring what the arena had to offer. They soon found that the empty city had an eerie vibe to it—despite the perfect appearance of the buildings, the fact that no one was living in them made it ominous. The lack of people and cars lining the streets made the entire place feel abandoned. It was as if everyone had just up and left for some mysterious reason, a looming threat that would soon reveal itself…

Julia ignored the chill that crept up her spine as she wandered through a maze of alleys. She had no clue what to do and wished she had managed to grab a weapon. The small backpack she had gotten ahold of wasn't anything special…it had a package of dry crackers, a canister to hold water, a flashlight, and an extra pair of socks.

For a while, she just wandered, allowing her feet to draw her away from the park that contained the Cornucopia. At one point, the cannon blasted nine times, signaling the end of the Bloodbath. Julia wondered who the casualties had been, but she kept on walking, ignoring protests from her tired limbs.

When she got to the edge of the city, she was met with an extremely tall concrete wall. Obviously, this was the edge of the arena. She walked along it for a while, headed in the direction of the beach. As she rounded the corner of a building, she nearly tripped over a body.

She gave a short gasp and stumbled backwards. It was the boy from District 12—Carson. He was passed out on the ground, no doubt hungover from the previous night. He must have been really sick. She kneeled besides him and gave him a light tap on the shoulder. "Hey…" She whispered.

He didn't respond. She stood up, wondering if she should just leave him there or not. _He's hot…but I don't think there's anything I can do for him._ She hung around a while, waiting to see if he would wake up. When he didn't, she entered the nearest building, deciding to check out what it had to offer. The interiors of the buildings were nearly empty too. She tried the sinks and was surprised to find that they worked. She filled up her canister with cold water and tucked it back into her backpack. She opened pantries, but they were empty. She opened the fridge and inside was a hunk of raw meat, which she took. Figuring out how to cook it would come later. Right now, exploring was her main priority.

_Maybe other buildings will have more to offer in terms of food…_. She thought, locating a staircase and heading up to the second floor. She wasn't too hopeful she would find anything useful. Just as she reached the top of the steps, she happened to glance out a window and what she saw nearly made her heart stop.

The Careers—Hip, Channa, Bridon, and Sienna—were making their way down the path she had come. Each of them were holding weapons. She was surprised to see them and had assumed they would want to take inventory at the Cornucopia before going on a hunt.

Julia's first instinct was to hide, but then she remembered Carson, passed out right outside the door. She clambered down the steps and burst outside. She could hear the voices of the Careers drawing closer. She lurched over to Carson and started shaking him roughly.

"Wake up! Wake up!" She hissed desperately, "You have to get out of here!"

His eyes snapped open and he whipped his head around, confused. "What's going on?" He asked groggily, reaching up to stifle the pounding in his head.

"The Careers are coming." Julia whispered, and then she was gone, disappearing as quickly as she had come.

Carson lurched to his feet and started to run after the girl, but he had lost sight of her. _The Careers are coming._ Her words throbbed in his ears, filling him with panic. _The Careers are coming._

Then he could hear sudden, excited shouts behind him. The Careers had rounded the corner and spotted him fleeing. They came after him, whooping and hollering, their weapons held high above their heads.

Carson ran blindly, as fast as his legs would go. Spots flooded his vision, making it difficult to see his surroundings. His head was pounding unbearably and he felt as if he were going to pass out. But the threat of death pumped adrenaline through his body and he ran like he never ran before.

Suddenly, he was aware of where he was. He was running down a boardwalk, the beach to his left, and the city to his right. He was headed straight towards the towering Ferris wheel, which had started turning at the beginning of the Games. Not far from the base of it was a carousel. Carson had never seen a carousel in his life, but for some reason, he found himself making a beeline for it.

His breaths were coming in short gasps and he felt as if he were going to throw up, but still he pushed on. The Careers were gaining ground, and fast. With no other options, Carson took a flying leap onto the carousel. He crashed clumsily to the ground and lay there, stunned. A twisted, carnival version of the Capitol anthem was blasting in his ears. The flashy colors of the horses blurred his vision. His stomach rolled as he spun in circles.

He couldn't hold it in any longer and emptied what was left in his stomach.

Hip and Sienna, the fastest of the four Careers, skidded to a stop by the carousel. Sienna chucked her spear, but Carson rotated out of reach. The weapon hit a horse and bounced off. Sienna went to retrieve it as Channa and Bridon came sprinting up. Bridon didn't slow and tried to leap on the carousel after Carson, but misjudged the speed of the spinning horses. He full-on crashed into one and was thrown back. He landed roughly, sprawled on his back. He sat up, cursing.

Hip looked amused. "Name: Bridon Jakkels. Cause of death: Carousel Pony."

Bridon ignored him; his eyes searching the carnival ride for their escaped prey.

"_I'll_ do it." Channa hissed. She stepped forward and began to run alongside the horses. Then she easily hopped through a gap and began searching for Carson. The momentum of the ride made it difficult for her to keep her balance, but she clutched at the bobbing horses for support.

"You got this, Channa!" Hip cheered from the sidelines.

"Thanks, don't bother _helping_ me or anything." She grumbled.

There was a loud _thump_ as Bridon landed on the spinning platform, mimicking what Channa had just done. He shoved past her without a glance, eyes searching for his prey.

It barely took a minute to find Carson. He had crawled into a tiny carriage and was crouching there. As soon as he saw Channa and Bridon, he tried to make a break for it. But they descended upon him without mercy. Channa slashed her swords through the air and two neat gashes appeared on Carson's back. He whipped around, arms flailing. He had decided to put up a fight instead. But he was in no condition to do so.

He managed to give Channa a push that threw her off balance. But then Bridon threw himself at Carson, easily knocking him onto his back. He pinned the smaller boy to the ground. Carson struggled futilely, his eyes rolling around in his head like a frightened animal. But it was no use. Bridon raised a large knife and slashed it across Carson's throat.

Channa laughed, clinging to a horse for balance. "Good job! I guess District 12 is out of the running for this year."

Blood gurgled at Carson's lip as he struggled to breathe through his mangled throat. His eyes were wide and unseeing. His life was flashing one last time before his eyes. His family. His sacrifice he had made for them. And the days that had led up to the Games, distorted with alcohol.

_Ronnie, Bentley…I let you down…_ Carson thought miserably, closing his eyes and allowing death to take him. Suddenly, he felt his surroundings change. He was no longer spinning. His headache was gone and his stomach was calm. He was lying on the ground and someone was standing over him.

Carson opened his eyes. It was not the Career from District 2—it was his father. He was looking down at him, face crinkled up in a kind smile. He leaned down and offered his son a hand. Carson smiled weakly.

_Dad._ Carson thought, feeling very tired, _I missed you. _He reached out and grasped his father's hand, just as his heart gave one last dull thud.

As if sensing the battle had ended, the carousel slowed to a stop and the blood-chilling music box shut off. Hip and Sienna circled the ride until they found Channa and Bridon proudly standing over Carson's corpse.

"Plus one for Channa and Bridon!" Channa bragged, cleaning the blood off her weapons, using the dead tribute's shirt.

"You mean plus one for _Bridon._" Her fellow Career corrected, scowling. The cannon boomed, confirming his kill.

"Nice." Sienna murmured.

"Whoa!" Hip cried out suddenly, "Look!" He hopped up onto the carousel and motioned at the horses. "It's us!"

It was then that everyone noticed the horses had been painted to resemble each tribute. Their coats and manes matched each contestant's hair and they were trussed up in the chariot costumes they had worn on the first night of festivities.

Hip walked over and patted the rump of a dark horse decked out in a shining gold saddle, studded with amethysts; it was wearing a laurel proudly atop its head that matched the brown horse next to it. "Okay. Who wants to ride me?" Hip invited, a wide grin spreading across his face.

No one responded. "Our horses are the coolest." Sienna commented, and she was right. The District 2 horses looked amazing covered in war paint and feathers. They looked as if they could spring to life at any moment, ready for battle.

"Come on. Let's check out the rest of this dump." Bridon growled. The Careers moved away from the horses and proceeded to explore the rest of the amusement park area. There were lots of bright, flashy lights, carnival games, and food stands, which contained no food whatsoever. There was even a House of Mirrors, but they avoided that. They knew a deathtrap when they saw one.

Then they approached the Ferris wheel, looking it up and down. Sienna and Bridon were impressed with the gigantic contraption, but tried not to show it.

"Hey Channa! Wanna ride the Ferris wheel with me later?" Hip asked, putting on his award-winning smile and winking.

She rolled her eyes and said with false excitement, "Oh wow, okay! Should that be before or after we kill each other?" Then she copied his smile and batted her eyelashes for extra sarcasm.

"Preferably before." Hip answered smoothly, "I'm not into necrophilia."

Channa grimaced. "Oh. Ouch. That was totally uncalled for."

"Riding the Ferris wheel would be like waving a flag that says, 'I'm over here! Come kill me!'" Sienna said, eyes narrowing with disapproval.

"I wasn't serious." Hip tried to argue, but Bridon cut him off.

"Hey, check that out!" The older boy said, walking in the direction of the game section.

He had discovered a claw machine, but instead of being filled with the usual stuffed animals, it contained all sorts of items: Matches, water bottles, throwing knives, night vision glasses, and other goodies. Best of all was a grenade, shoved in the farthest corner from the claw. It was like seeing a free ticket to kill anyone you wanted in one clean shot.

"What the heck is this thing?" Bridon asked, looking up and down at the strange machine. The Head Gamemaker's face, which had been plastered to the top of it, grinned back down at him.

Channa sneered, "Wow. I pity you. Haven't you ever had a carnival in District 2? We _always_ have one whenever someone from District 1 is in the Victory Tour."

Bridon clenched his jaw and didn't respond.

"I call the grenade." Sienna said flatly.

"You'll have to beat me out for it." Hip said, putting his hands on the controls, "Those glasses are pretty tempting too, though…" The Career tried to move the control stick, but the claw didn't respond. Hip frowned. "Oh, shoot. We don't have any money to play."

"Then this is just here to taunt us?" Bridon growled, glowering at the goods that were just out of reach.

"Surely there must be some way to play…" Sienna murmured, studying the machine. But she had never seen one before now, just like Bridon, and she wasn't sure what to make of it.

Hip lifted up his mace. "These games are impossible to win anyways." Then he swung it right at the glass. But instead of shattering through it, the mace bounced off of it harmlessly and flew out of Hip's hands, shooting right past Bridon's head.

"Watch it!" Bridon spat furiously.

Hip ignored him, looking disappointed. "Well that sucked…I guess this stuff is impenetrable."

"Guys!" Channa shouted, a little ways off, "Come look at this!" She had grown bored with their attempts to figure out the claw machine. Besides, she knew it was near impossible to beat those games. So she had wandered off and found a different game, one that looked far more promising.

It was what appeared to be a large, tall pole, with flashing lights running all the way up to the top of it. At the bottom was a large switch with a big, square hammer lying next to it. At the top was a bell.

"The point of the game is to hit the switch hard enough that you ring the bell." Channa explained, "Here, I'll show you." She picked up the heavy hammer, swung it back, and struck the switch. The lights flashed a little bit less than halfway up and blinked a few times. A score popped up on a tiny screen. Bridon didn't look impressed at all. "It's harder than it looks." Channa said quickly, her face reddening.

"Let me try." Hip said, taking the hammer from her, "This'll be easier to win than that stupid claw game." He swung it forward, bringing it down heavily on the switch. The lights flashed higher this time, more than halfway up, but he was still nowhere near ringing the bell.

"My turn." Sienna said, taking the hammer from Hip and smashing it into the switch with blinding speed. The lights lit up exactly where Hip's had. She ended up with the same score as him.

"I was just warming up, let me try again." Hip said quickly, going to steal the hammer back from Sienna, but she had already passed it on to Bridon.

"Stand back." He said fiercely, flexing his muscles and cracking his neck side to side. He raised the hammer and brought it down forcefully. The lights flashed all the way up to the top and the bell rang. As soon as it did, something began exploding out from the top of the pole and showering down on Bridon. His first thought was that it was some kind of prize—but upon closer inspection he realized that these were definitely not prizes.

"Mutts!" Bridon snarled, as dozens of crabs rained down upon him, snagging him with their claws. Others that missed their target and landed on the pavement rushed at the rest of the Careers, snapping their claws aggressively. They were larger than your normal crab and their beady black eyes seemed to be filled with hatred.

Hip swung his mace, taking out a handful of the crabs in one shot, but more came skittering in to take their places. He kicked at them, backing away from the other Careers so he wouldn't accidentally bludgeon one of them. Then he went all out, spinning in circles, sending crabs flying every which way.

Channa stabbed relentlessly at the ones that were clustering at her feet, screeching, "Get them off! Get them off!" as they tried to scale her body. But her choice of weapon wasn't the best for fending off mutts such as these. Finally, she gave up using her swords and just started jumping up and down, flattening the crabs into the pavement.

Sienna's spear was a blur as she killed crab after crab, listening to the satisfying crunch that sounded each time she broke through their shells. The ground around her was covered with disembodied crab parts.

Meanwhile, Bridon was swinging the large hammer in his hands wildly. Crabs covered him from head to toe, digging their claws into his skin and hanging on. He was immune to the pain as he continued destroying the mutts left and right. He fought on, unaware that they had finally ceased spilling out of the pole. Only when the other Careers gathered around him, did he realize the worst of the attack was over. He lowered his hammer and stood still, letting the rest of his alliance work over him, peeling off the remaining crabs. He grimaced in pain as Sienna reached up and ripped off one that had been dangling on his ear. They took the crabs and crushed them under foot.

"That wasn't a very good prize." Hip said dryly, once they had finished destroying the last of them.

"Look at it this way," Bridon said, straightening up, "We get to eat crabs for dinner!"

"Eww, are you serious?" Channa said, rolling her eyes, "First of all, _why_ on earth would you want to eat a mutt? Second of all, haven't you ever eaten crabs before? You have to cook them while they're still alive. Otherwise they get all disgusting and green. Ugh!" She shivered at the thought of consuming such a horrendous meal.

"Fine." Bridon relented, "But for your information, I _have_ eaten crabs before, I just haven't cooked them. Now let's get out of here and find another tribute to kill." He looked pissed.

"Are you sure?" Sienna asked, looking at the many bruises that were now forming on Bridon's body. A few cuts oozed blood.

"None of these are deep." He argued in return.

"They could get infected." Channa pointed out, "Come on, let's get you cleaned up back at camp. I'm sure Cole will be dying to hear what happened."

Bridon hesitated, prepared to argue with the rest of them. But then he realized that they were right. It was only the first day. He needed to be in top condition for when he killed his opponents. So he gave in and the four of them headed back to the park.

* * *

Frederick, who had seen the Career pack pursuing the District 12 boy from a distance, was hiding under the pier that the Ferris wheel rested on. Luckily, the Careers hadn't checked around and had left after a short while. Frederick watched a hovercraft come and collect Carson's body.

_Poor guy._ Frederick thought, sighing, _though I must admit, them getting attacked by crabs brightened my day._

With a sigh, the boy slumped down and opened up the backpack he had obtained. Inside were a sleeping bag, a pack of beef jerky, an apple, sunglasses, a small pail, and binocular lenses. He had scored big time. Frederick first put on the sunglasses, wondering if they were the kind that would allow him to see at night. Unfortunately, they weren't, but they would still come in handy. Next he brought the lenses up to his eyes. They would help him get a fire started while the sun was out.

He scanned the landscape, taking in the sights it had to offer. No doubt, this place was beautiful. Flags, decorated with the Capitol emblem, hung on every lamppost. Gardens flourished and palm trees bearing coconuts swayed in the breeze. The spotless buildings stood with tiny balconies facing the ocean.

Pelicans and laughing gulls soared overhead. Dolphin fins flashed above the surface offshore. Frederick, with his knowledge of the ocean, could even spot a riptide further down the beach. It was just like home.

Then the Career briefly remembered catching sight of the girl from District 6 headed down the beach earlier, going in the opposite direction. She hadn't been a threat, so he hadn't attacked. But now, it seemed, she was nowhere to be found.

For the time being, the coast was clear. Frederick stepped out from under the pier, taking a deep breathe of familiar sea air. Maybe it was foolish to stay out in the open like this, but the ocean was a comfort to him. He would set up camp here and fish to his heart's content.

* * *

Calista was trying not to hyperventilate as she charged up an endless flight of steps. She had sprinted away from the Bloodbath as fast as she could go and escaped into the first building she had come upon. She had ascended a few floors and watched the end of the Bloodbath play out, trying to figure out which body belonged to whom. But it was too hard to tell from such a far distance.

She watched as the Careers left the bloody battlefield in order to allow the bodies to be collected. One remained behind, staying in the vicinity of the Cornucopia—no doubt to take on anyone who would dare come back to steal its treasures. Then, as the four Careers drew closer and closer to her building, she began to grow scared.

She flew up the last few floors to the very top one and hid inside a closet. The closet was empty, providing plenty of room, but nothing else to hide behind. There, she waited, her ears straining to catch any noise.

She thought she heard the faint sound of footsteps, but she couldn't be sure if it was just her mind playing tricks on her or not. She held her breath, listening intently. No, it hadn't been her imagination. The footsteps were soft, but steadily growing louder as they came slowly up the steps. Then the door creaked open and the person was standing in the same room as her.

_I should have found a better place to hide! _She closed her eyes, hoping that they couldn't hear the sound of her heart trying to escape her chest. They coughed lightly—she knew then it was a male tribute. She wasn't strong or fast. If he discovered her, she was doomed…

She heard the sound of rustling as the boy scoured the room, probably looking for supplies. Calista tensed every muscle in her body. He was definitely going to open the closet. When he did, she would burst out and tackle him to the ground, stunning him. Maybe then she would have a fighting chance.

The footsteps sounded right outside the door. The doorknob was turning. With a shriek, Calista busted out of the closet and tackled the huge male tribute. He hadn't been prepared and was easily knocked to the ground. She prepared to strangle her adversary, but stopped herself just in time.

"Tasi?" She cried out in disbelief. "I thought you were…! I thought…!" She scrambled to her feet, letting him stand up. He stood there, rubbing the back of his head, looking at her with wide eyes.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack…" He admitted.

Calista wrapped her arms around him, exclaiming, "I thought you were dead!"

"You thought I was dead?" Tasi echoed, still dazed.

Calista drew back, nodding tearfully. "I saw you running towards the Cornucopia. And the cannon fired nine times, and I thought maybe…"

"No. It wasn't me." He said wearily, "A big fight broke out over some knives. I managed to grab a backpack near the edge, but I didn't dare try to get a weapon. I've got an injured knee and I'm not very fast."

Calista blinked. She hadn't known that about him. "Well, I'm glad you're okay." She said quietly.

Tasi frowned. "Well, I'd better get going…"

"Wait!" Calista protested, "Don't go."

"But I thought you didn't want an alliance?"

"I know I said that…" Calista said sadly, "But now…" She couldn't put how she felt into words. She had been so scared, wondering if he was dead. And as she hid in that closet, thinking she was about to die. She knew she had tried to avoid making an alliance with him, but now that he was here, she didn't want to part with him.

"Okay," Tasi agreed, smiling softly, "I'm glad. But I promised someone else that they could be in my alliance. Let's go see if we can find Bassin."

But Tasi and Calista never found Bassin. They searched long and hard, keeping to the shadows cast by the buildings. The day was coming to a close. Finally, they had to give up.

As the sun set, everyone made sure they had a clear view of the sky to see the deceased tributes. The Capitol seal appeared in the sky and the national anthem blared loudly. Large letters spelled out, "The Fallen." Then came the pictures.

Of course, no faces from Districts 1 or 2 appeared. The top Careers were too powerful to be killed on the first day. Instead, the first pictures were of Jack and Gadgette from District 3, putting their district out of the running for this year. No one gave them much thought—they had never held much promise.

Then Bassin's face appeared in the sky, her blue-green eyes dull and hopeless.

Frederick felt shocked when he saw her. He had been under the impression that she had secured a position among the Careers. _They must have betrayed her._ He thought angrily, clenching his fists. This was exactly why he despised Careers.

Tasi and Calista were upset when they realized the third member of their alliance hadn't made it. Tasi shook his head sadly, "I should have tried harder to get her to come with us…but she had already put her trust in the Careers." He said softly.

"Don't blame yourself." Calista whispered.

Bassin's face disappeared and was replaced by Cassia's. No one was too surprised there. She had boasted the worst odds of them all. Still, Cole couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt. He gave a heavy sigh, trying to push her from his mind.

Surprisingly, both tributes from District 6 had made it out alive. Same with District 7. The next image belonged to Ash from District 8. Abbadon, hiding out at the very top of one of the biggest skyscrapers, felt amused, wondering who had been the one to kill the hotheaded girl. _A shame I couldn't have shut her up myself._ He thought, smirking. _Oh well. _

Drake's image appeared after that. Cara was astounded to see his face looking down on her. He had been so strong, so confident. The way he had spoke of his plan…he had made it seemed as if it was going to work. And she had never doubted him. But obviously, the odds hadn't been in his favor. The Careers had probably killed him off because of his disability. She closed her eyes, holding back tears. _I'll win for you, Drake._ She promised silently.

Shem's picture was next. Olivia's heart fell when she saw it. The smiling boy that had danced with her the night before was gone. It wasn't hard to guess that the handsome Career had gotten to him. She silently cursed herself for ever falling for his charm. Now it was up to her to win for District 10.

Shem's picture was replaced by Caden's and was followed by Carson's. Julia felt her throat close up with sorrow. So neither her district partner nor the cute guy she had tried to save had made it. _Oh, Caden…_ She thought tearfully, recalling the night before, the way he had danced with her, made all of her worries go away…

_Thank you for everything._

The last picture was of Ellis. No one would mourn her death—she had no family to do so. But now, she could be at peace with her brother. The anthem played one last time, and then faded. The last picture disappeared, allowing darkness to descend.

Not long after, clouds began to move over the city and thunder rumbled in the distance...

**RIP Carson. 10 down, 14 remain. Yay we reached the double digits! …Maybe that's not a good thing to celebrate.**

Also, last night I dreamed I was at the beach, on that carousel while some girl chased me, threatening to gouge my eyes out with a spoon. Yeah.  



	11. The Storm

**Almost there...! Just a few more...!**

"It's gonna be a bad one. Let's take shelter in the Cornucopia for the night. Hip, you have first watch."

Channa looked at Bridon skeptically. "Stay here on the top of this hill inside a huge metal contraption during a storm? Great idea. If anyone needs me, I'll be inside that building over there, _not_ getting struck by lightning."

"We need to stay with the stuff!" Bridon argued.

"Channa's right." Cole spoke up, "It's too dangerous to stay up here. We should take shelter in a building."

"We'll be close to the Cornucopia so we can get back first thing in the morning." Hip added, glancing at the storm clouds nervously.

"Fine." Bridon consented, clearly outnumbered by common sense. "Let's go."

They left the Cornucopia and headed down the hill, just as the first flash of lightning cracked across the sky. The Careers were illuminated, just for a moment, but it was enough. The tributes hiding out in nearby buildings had spotted their leave.

"All right. I'm going down to steal something." Tasi said, rising to his feet.

Calista gaped at him in shock. "What? You can't be serious!"

"This is probably the only time they'll be away from the Cornucopia…" Tasi said, gazing out the window. Lightning flashed again. "There. They just went into the building next to us. They won't be blocking our exit."

"It's too dangerous." Calista said firmly, "And why do you even want to steal stuff? You've gotten a backpack, haven't you? And we found some food in the cabinets downstairs. It'll last us almost a week, if we ration it. We're all set."

"We don't have _weapons_." Tasi stressed.

Calista knew he was right. No weapons meant you were practically defenseless. But was it worth the risk? She pointed out, "The Gamemakers might strike you down with lightning."

"There's been enough deaths to keep their audience entertained. They won't off me with lightning."

"Tasi, I'm telling you, _please_ don't go. Don't leave me here all alone."

That was all it took for him to cave. "Fine." He sighed, sitting down. Annoyance plucked at his insides. "Then what should we do in the meantime? Write our wills?" He asked sarcastically.

Calista stared at him. Then, at the same time, they started laughing uproariously. It wasn't even that funny. It just felt good to laugh, since they would have so few opportunities in the future. "Actually, that's not such a bad idea!" Calista giggled, "Only we don't have any paper so I guess we'll just have to speak our wills."

So the two settled down and did just that.

* * *

_Great. I'm totally lost._ Cara thought to herself, wandering around some unknown floor in some random building. It was too easy to get lost in a place like this. At first, she had been grateful to find a small supply of food consisting of bread, a sack of potatoes, dried fruit, a bit of turkey, and fresh cheese. She hadn't been able to nab a backpack, but she had picked a lucky building with plenty of food. With this surplus of supplies, and her weapon, she was all set. She dumped out the raw potatoes and stuffed the other food inside. With extra space in the bag, she added a few potatoes back in, but she had no means to cook them. Perhaps there was something in the vicinity that could.

And that's how she made the mistake of exploring the building further. Now she was lost and was having a hard time finding the staircase. Thunder rumbled outside and she suddenly felt nervous. What would happen if lightning struck the building? She picked up her pace, wanting desperately to get back down to the first floor.

As she rounded a corner, she crashed into another tribute, letting out a surprised shriek. The other tribute, the boy from District 6, looked at her in alarm. Then he turned tail and darted away. She whirled around and ran in the opposite direction, hoping that no one else heard her scream.

She kept running and nearly took a tumble down the staircase. Luckily, she stopped herself just in time. _Found the steps._ She thought, feeling relieved. She headed down to the first floor, picked a random room, and crawled into an empty closet.

Mitch wasn't a threat, and if he was, he probably wouldn't find her here. She was safe…for now.

* * *

Olivia was stuffing food into her backpack when she heard the door open. Multiple pairs of footsteps reached her ears. Trying not to panic, she slipped her backpack on and headed in the direction of the staircase as quickly and silently as she could. When she reached the top of the steps she darted around the corner and listened.

"Do you think there's any food in this dump?" A voice drawled. She recognized it immediately. It was Hip—the Careers had entered the building.

"Sienna and I will search the first floor," Bridon's commanding voice proclaimed, "You three check upstairs."

Olivia's heart pounded in her chest. _Stay calm,_ she urged, moving silently through countless rooms. All of them were empty, offering little cover. Closets invited her in, but she knew they would check those. Finally, she came across a bed. It was merely a bedframe and a mattress, but it would have to do. She dove for it and squirmed her way under. She barely fit.

_Thank God I'm not claustrophobic…_ She thought, trying to catch her breath.

She waited. It didn't take long. She could hear them coming up the steps…walking through the rooms she had just gone through, opening and closing doors. Their footsteps grew louder and louder as they neared her hiding place.

"Hey look! A bed!" Hip exclaimed.

Olivia held her breath, not daring to make a sound. If she did, it was all over. There was a loud creaking as the Career threw himself down onto the mattress and stretched out.

"Ahh, that feels nice…anyone care to join me?" He looked pointedly at Channa, but it was Cole who responded.

"Sure!" He said happily and leaped onto the bed. Hip was on his feet instantly, grimacing.

The bed creaked again and for a moment, Olivia thought that it would collapse and she would end up suffocating under the mattress. But thankfully, that didn't happen. Cole gave a luxurious stretch, his bones cracking loudly. Olivia inwardly shuddered.

Channa finally spoke, saying, "Come on, let's go back downstairs. I don't like being far from the exit. It's not natural, the Gamemakers just handing shelter out like this…"

"Can we take the mattress with us?" Cole asked hopefully.

Olivia's insides froze. Lightning crashed just outside the window, as if sealing her demise. _No, please, no…I'm dead…I'm dead…!_

But Channa saved her. "Just leave it. It'll be too much of a hassle to get it downstairs."

_Thank you, Channa…_ Olivia would have sighed in relief, if she could spare to make a sound.

"Yeah. Let's go." Hip agreed.

Out of the corner of her eye, Olivia saw the three pairs of shoes move away from the bed. The sound of their footsteps receded. She had never felt more relieved in her life. Still, she didn't dare emerge from under the bed for the rest of the night. She realized the purpose of these buildings now—they weren't just shelters. They were deathtraps. Here, it was easy to become cornered. Easy to partake in the sick game of hide-and-seek the Gamemakers had put together.

_After this,_ Olivia swore to herself, _I won't be going into anymore buildings. I'll never be backed into a corner like this again._

* * *

"You've left everything to your sisters and your parents so far…aren't you going to leave anything to me?" Tasi said teasingly. He and Calista were leaning back on a wall, watching the lightning dance in the sky with the curtains drawn open. Thunder came in a constant stream of rumbling. Calista had quickly grown tired and was now leaning on him, half-asleep.

"You didn't leave me anything…" She mumbled in protest.

"Because I don't have anything to leave you." Tasi shrugged.

"Nothing at all?" She murmured softly. Tasi had to strain to hear what she was saying.

"Well…if I don't make it out of this and you do…would you take care of my dog for me? Her name is Hope."

"Hope." Calista repeated, but he wasn't too sure if she was totally in there anymore.

"You'll take care of her?"

"Mmm."

"Will you leave me anything if I become the victor?"

"Mmm."

"…What are you going to leave me?"

"Tree house." The word was barely audible.

"Tree house?" Tasi repeated, thinking he had misheard her. She didn't respond. She had drifted off to better places. Tasi slowly inched away from her, laying her head down on the floor. She didn't awake. "Sorry, Calista." He whispered, "But we're gonna need weapons if one of us is going to win."

With that, he left her sleeping there and snuck outside. Rain pelted down from above and lightning cracked across the sky, bringing the roar of thunder with it. Tasi took a deep breath, readying himself to make a dash for the Cornucopia.

A flash of lightning lit up the arena and he saw it. It was a good distance away, just across the blacktop, up the grassy hill, and across the flat expanse of field. Hopefully, the Gamemakers would have mercy on him.

He ran for it, his lame knee protesting painfully with each step he took. Thunder rumbled a warning, but he pushed on. He made it across the blacktop. Scaling the steep hill was the hardest part; he felt as if he were moving slower than a turtle. But once he made it to the top, another brief flash showed that the Cornucopia wasn't far off.

He forged on. After a few more pain-laced steps, he made it and ducked inside. The supplies were untouched. Working fast, he snatched an axe that was hanging off the wall and grabbed a backpack for Calista. Then he was gone as quickly as he had come.

Right as he exited the Cornucopia, lightning struck.

It touched down, a mere ten yards away from him, blowing an innocent birch tree to bits. Tasi flinched as bark sprayed him. The sheer power of the lightning stunned him for a moment. Then he was off again, flying down the hill and back toward the building. He made it inside and nearly ran into Calista a second time that day. She had woken up and was just about to leave to look for him.

"Tasi!" She cried out. "You're okay! Oh no, you're soaked to the skin…"

It was then, in the safety of the house, did Tasi realize just how drenched and tired he was. He collapsed to the ground, water cascading off his clothes. His hair was completely matted down.

"Lightning struck…tree next to me…" He said between ragged panting.

"I saw. I wish you had listened to me." Calista said quietly, taking the axe and the pack from him and setting them down. "But I'm glad you're okay and that you managed to get what you wanted…"

Tasi felt relieved that she wasn't mad at him. He watched as she started digging through the backpack they had acquired. "I think that was a warning from the Gamemakers," Tasi said once he had regained his breath, "They were telling me not to pull this stunt again. But they didn't want to kill me since there have already been enough deaths today."

"You're probably right…hey, this pack has a towel! That's perfect!" She pulled out a white towel that had been stained red. She stared at it blankly. "Is that…blood?"

"Give it here." Tasi took the towel from her and wiped his face with it, "We're not gonna waste resources around here. What else have we got?"

"A pretty good-looking knife." Calista responded, pulling out a sharp knife, serrated at the edge. "No food, though. But there's extra food in the fridge so I think we'll be fine."

"Great." Tasi sighed heavily, feeling grateful for his life, "I'm dead tired now. Let's get some sleep."

* * *

At some point during the night, the storm dissipated. By then, most all of the tributes were asleep. Dawn came and one by one, they began to awake, ready to face yet another horrifying day in the arena.

Julia had seen the Careers abandon the Cornucopia due to the storm last night. She woke just as the sun peeped over the horizon. She was instantly alert and looking outside to see if the Careers had returned to their home base.

Nope. There sat the Cornucopia in all of its glory, with its completely unguarded treasures. Julia wasted no time in grabbing her backpack and setting off to have another go at getting her arnis sticks. She quickly sprinted across the open road, up the hill, and into the Cornucopia. She didn't check to see if she had been spotted, but got to work on searching for her weapon of choice.

_Please tell me they included it! _She begged silently, scanning all of the weapons on the wall. Her heart fell as she realized her sticks were not among them. She started digging through the supplies littered on the ground. There weren't as many this year, probably because some could be found in the buildings spread across the arena.

As she flung sleeping bags out of the way, her eyes fell on what appeared to be two harmless sticks. But she knew otherwise. They were her arnis sticks, especially meant for her. She silently thanked the Gamemakers as she went to pick them up.

Right as her fingers wrapped around the smooth surface of the sticks, she heard voices. She knew instantly whom the voices belonged to. The Careers were on their way back, scaling the hill and coming straight for her. There was nowhere to hide. They would be upon her in seconds.

She darted out of the Cornucopia and took off, running across the grass. The Careers let out cries of dismay as she sped right past them. Sienna quickly came to her senses and launched her spear straight at Julia's head. But moving targets were harder to hit than stationary dummies. It landed just short of her retreating feet.

"C'mon." Hip growled. He threw down a backpack he had been carrying and, armed with his mace, set off in hot pursuit.

Sienna ran to pick up her spear, but once she had it in her hand, she didn't bother chasing after Hip. She didn't care much for him and didn't feel like helping him out at the moment. _He can kill that girl by himself._ She thought grumpily, _And if not, well, more power to her._

"Oh, Hip, just let her go!" Channa complained, fanning herself, "It's too early in the morning for this. We'll hunt her down later!"

But Hip ignored his district partner and kept running. Even with the added weight of the mace, he was still one of the fastest tributes. And he was gaining on her. She kept casting quick glances backwards to see him coming closer and closer each time. The ground grew hard under her feet as she left the park and raced down the main street of the city.

But Hip would not give up. That much was clear. He was nearly upon her when she turned around, brandishing her arnis sticks. Her weapons may have appeared harmless, but they had the strength to crack a person's skull.

But she couldn't bring herself to harm Hip. Even with her life on the line.

He wound up and released the mace. She leaped backwards, deflecting the spiked ball with a stick, but pain lanced through her wrist at the impact. This wasn't a battle she could win. As strong as they were, arnis sticks still could not compare to the power of a mace. And there was no running now; he would surely catch her.

_Great! I'm going to be killed by the guy I'm crushing on. Just great! Maybe if I hadn't turned him down at the dance, things wouldn't have turned out this way!_ She thought angrily, taking another leap backwards to avoid Hip's attack.

But she misplaced her foot and tripped, falling onto her back. She hit the ground hard and lay there, stunned. She lifted her head, just in time to see Hip bringing the mace back to smash it into her skull.

Suddenly, there was a rush of footsteps and Frederick came flying out of nowhere, his trident held tightly in his fist. He held it out in front of him, as if to run the Career through. At the last second, Hip turned, a look of surprise registering on his face. He released the mace, but the sudden change of momentum caused it to miss Julia's head by inches.

Instead it clanged into the head of Frederick's trident, knocking it out of his hands. But Frederick just kept coming and tackled Hip to the ground as he tried to swing the mace again. The spikes of the weapon dug painfully into Frederick's leg as the two landed heavily on the pavement.

Frederick grunted, drawing back from Hip as he tried to free his leg from the spikes. That was all the dark-haired boy needed. He wriggled out from under the larger Career and jumped to his feet. He took one look at the two tributes against him, decided not to chance it, and took off sprinting back in the direction of the park. Frederick lunged for his trident and threw it, but it missed its mark by a good couple of yards. Frederick cursed under his breath, and then struggled to his feet.

Julia looked at his leg. His pants had been torn and blood seeped out of the skin the mace had pierced. She watched as he began to limp away from her, grimacing at each step. She jumped to her feet and raced after him.

"Wait!" she cried out.

He ignored her, stumbling in the direction of his trident.

"Wait, I'll get it for you!" She said kindly, running past him to retrieve it for him. She snatched it up and handed it over, smiling. "Here."

"Thanks." He said curtly, and then turned to leave.

"Wait, don't go!" She pleaded, moving to block his path, "You're injured."

He narrowed his eyes at her. _Obviously._

"Let me help you." She said quietly, "It's the least I can do to repay you for saving my life."

"You don't have to repay me." Frederick responded, "I just couldn't stand by and watch one of those darn Careers kill another innocent tribute."

"It was my fault," Julia said quickly, "I tried to steal a weapon from the Cornucopia."

He stared at her in disbelief. "You sound like you're defending them."

"I'm not!" She said, turning a bright crimson. Frederick didn't reply. He tried to make his way around her, but she blocked him again, saying, "Hey! I said I was gonna repay you for saving my life!"

"I heard you the first time."

"Well, I'm not gonna take no for an answer!" She growled, forcing him to sit down. She took off her sweatshirt and proceeded to tie it around his wounds, as tightly as possible. Luckily, it was fairly hot out. The sweatshirts insulated them well, but weren't really necessary.

Frederick didn't say anything until she had finished. "Thanks." He mumbled.

"No problem!" Julia said, beaming, "We'd better clear out now in case they come back."

"We?" Frederick voiced back to her.

"Yeah. I've decided to repay you by forming an alliance with you."

Frederick groaned.

"Oh, come on! Now that you're wounded, you'll need all the help you can get."

"I'm not _that_ wounded." He argued, but he was obviously limping, placing his foot down tenderly with each step.

"Uh-huh." Julia agreed sarcastically, "So where's your camp at?"

Frederick finally gave in. "The beach. Under the pier."

"Okay. Here, you can lean on me on the way there." She wrapped his arm around her shoulder and they set off at a steady pace towards the giant wheel. All the while, Julia was inwardly squealing about the cute guy that was currently hanging onto her. But she played it cool on the outside, asking him, "So why didn't you just let Hip kill me? Why have you got it in for the Careers?"

"I hate the Careers." Frederick answered, his voice cold with loathing, "When I saw you, I couldn't just stand by and watch that creep murder you."

"But you don't even know me." Julia pointed out.

"What difference does that make? I wanted to kill that Career. I wanted to avenge Bassin." Julia looked up at Frederick and saw his eyes were shiny with tears. "I told her not to talk to me." He said, his voice cracking, "Told her we couldn't form an alliance. Then she tried to join the Careers, but they betrayed her. They killed her and it's all my fault."

Julia suddenly had the urge to hug this poor boy. He had always seemed to be such a loner. She thought he was just another Career with a preference for flying solo. She never expected such a soft heart behind that tough exterior. "It's not your fault!" She said heatedly, "You're not the one who killed her! It was one of the Careers!"

He looked at her. His face was wrought with pain, and not just because of his leg wound. "I might as well have done it." He said sadly, "But I'm going to try my best. I'm not going to let a single one of them come away as the victor."

"Okay." Julia agreed, her heart falling as her mind wandered to Hip.

"Anyways, I believe we haven't properly introduced ourselves." Frederick said suddenly, clearing his face of his last traces of sorrow. "I'm Frederick Mariner. And you are?"

Julia smiled. "Julia Stark."

"Julia. Nice to meet you."


	12. Running in Circles

Hip came stalking back to camp, looking none too pleased. The Careers were currently gathered around the fountain, drinking and washing up. The fountain had the Capitol emblem standing proudly in the middle of it, spurting water in all directions. The water was cool and luxurious, despite the heat of the day.

"From the lack of cannon, I take it you were unsuccessful?" Channa said coolly, splashing the crystal clear water onto her face.

"I could have used some backup." Hip growled.

"Kind of like the backup I could have used when I was going after Carson?" Channa asked, lifting an eyebrow. Cole chuckled.

"Frederick showed up."

Silence followed his words.

"Yeah." Hip went on, "And I wasn't about to tackle both of them so I fled with my tail between my legs." He narrowed his eyes, looking incredibly ticked off that his prey had escaped. "I managed to side-swipe Frederick's leg before I ran off. That should slow him down for a few days."

"Then we should hunt him down!" Sienna exclaimed, eyes bright.

"Not now." Cole interjected, "We need to finish looking over the supplies we have."

"What have we got?" Hip asked, sitting down by the fountain. Bridon filled up a flask and handed it to him. He chugged it down as Cole ran through the list.

"A decent amount of food, but not a ton since more can probably be found in the buildings. We decided to raid a couple of kitchens on the hunt today. See what's left. As for the rest, mostly weapons and some supplies. We have a total of three sleeping bags, which will be handy since we'll be sleeping out here by the Cornucopia."

"Three sleeping bags?" Hip repeated, "Who's gonna get them?"

"Channa and Sienna in one. Hip and Cole in the other. I get my own." Bridon said simply.

Hip frowned. "Then I'm sleeping on the ground."

"What is it with men and sharing a bed?" Channa asked, rolling her eyes, though she wasn't crazy about sleeping in the same sleeping bag as Sienna.

"It goes against our unspoken code of masculinity." Hip explained, "And I have a better idea. Let's spread two of the sleeping bags on the ground and use the third as a blanket. We can use sweatshirts too."

"Sounds good to me." Sienna said, running a rock she had picked up along the edge of her spear, sharpening it.

"That would be much better!" Cole agreed, looking relieved.

"Fine." Bridon growled, once again outvoted by the rest of his pack. "Now hurry up and eat breakfast. I want to get moving as soon as possible."

* * *

On the first day, Chat had explored the entire arena, checking out what it had to offer. She didn't trust the buildings and had dug a little cave under the boardwalk on the north side of the beach, a good distance from the Ferris wheel. She had stopped in a few buildings, nabbed a bag of apples, some dried beef, a handful of nuts, and gotten a few drinks from the sinks. But she never dared to venture very far into them. They were merely traps for scared tributes. And she preferred to set the traps; not be caught in them.

And setting traps was exactly what she was doing now. She had ventured away from her burrow in the sand and headed into the thin woods close to the Careers' park. There was little underbrush beneath the trees, which meant hardly any cover. So she headed into the deepest part of the woods and chose it as the perfect place to set up some traps. Hopefully, the Careers would come wandering through here, or maybe some other hapless tribute. And so, Chat went to work, setting up a large deadfall that would kill anyone who passed under it.

Deadfalls consisted of a few sticks and a rock. Usually, they were small and she would use them to catch rabbits. She would set up the trap and put some bait by the stick that served as the trigger. The rabbit would move the stick, release the rock, and be crushed underneath it. That was exactly what Chat aimed to do now.

Since she was in a forest, it wasn't too hard to find long branches and big rocks. She found one, a bit smaller than the size of her head, and hauled it up into a tree. The task was tedious—she wasn't extremely muscular and had a hard time climbing the tree with the rock in tow. But after a while, she managed to get it where she wanted, fitting it snugly between two limbs. She used a long branch, the one that would serve as the trigger, to prop it up. She climbed down the trunk of the tree and stood back to admire her work.

_Perfect!_ Chat thought, grinning, _It just needs some bait…_

Chat immediately thought of her apples, but she was averse to wasting food. A dirty old apple might not attract a tribute anyways. In fact, it would probably bring in unwanted animals and _they _would end up triggering the trap. And there was no way she was going to haul that rock up the tree again.

_I've got it!_ She bent down and untied her shoes. _Tributes are sure to notice a pair of shoes just lying on the ground. And they'll want to snatch them up, since an extra pair could always come in handy!_

With the shoes in hand, she approached her trap with caution. Without touching the stick, she tied them loosely around the bottom. Okay, it was a little bit suspicious. But maybe they would be too preoccupied with the shoes to notice the gigantic rock hovering above their head…?

So she hid up in a neighboring tree and waited. An hour passed and her stomach started to grumble, but she ignored it. She didn't want to leave in case someone triggered her trap. She hadn't grabbed a backpack at the Bloodbath, so if someone with some goods came along, she could swipe them off their corpse.

Just as she was thinking about what items one might find in a backpack, she spotted something moving along the forest floor. She could see their shape through the leaves of the tree she was in. She squinted, trying to get a better look, but the branches were blocking her view. It was definitely a tribute…and they were headed straight for her trap! Oh, this was so suspenseful!

As the tribute passed under her tree, she realized that it was Mitch. A smug smile curled across her lips. It was a wonder he had made it past the first day, but now he was done for. He was probably going to walk right into her trap, spacing out as usual. Her district would be upset with her for killing her fellow tribute, but hey, she wasn't the one that was going to kill him. It was the rock.

She watched, shivering with anticipation, as he went straight for the shoes. He paused, glancing around for the owner. Then he bent down and started untying them. He rustled the stick as he did so.

Chat held her breath, waiting for the rock to come crashing down…but it didn't. It remained lodged between the trunk, the limb, and the upright branch. And there went Mitch, walking away with her shoes…

"You've got to be kidding me!" She growled, clambering down the trunk, "Hey! Mitch! HEY!"

Mitch jumped and turned around. "Chat?" He said, looking dazed.

She ran over to him, panting, her face turning red. "Um…those are my shoes." She mumbled awkwardly, pointing at them.

He looked down at the shoes in his hand, surprised, as if he had just realized he was holding them. "Oh, these are yours? I'm sorry." He handed them back to her.

She waited for him to ask why her shoes were tied to a branch in the middle of nowhere, but he didn't. "Okay…well, I guess I'll see you around?" She muttered, sparing him a wave.

"Okay. Bye, Chat!" He smiled happily. Then he turned and wandered off, the usual glazed look returning to his eyes.

When he had disappeared from sight, Chat threw her shoes to the ground, cursing. "What kind of idiot takes girls' shoes anyways?" She hissed, glaring down at her tiny shoes that would never have fit Mitch's big feet. She turned her accusing gaze up towards the rock, wondering why it hadn't come down. "Looks like I need to make some adjustments."

* * *

After the Careers had left in the morning, Olivia had wriggled out from under her hiding spot. Her body was sorer than ever before. She tried to stretch out each muscle, but it was clear that this aching wasn't going to go away any time soon. She opened up her pack and ate a quick breakfast of bread and a bit of dried fruit. She refilled her water bottle and then set off to find a new place to stay.

She hadn't scoped out the miniature amusement park section yet, and the looming Ferris wheel intrigued her. But as she approached it, she spotted something that completely diverted her attention. A parade of horses, all trussed up in fancy saddles and costumes, were attached to a separate carnival ride. She had never seen anything like it and went right over to it. The sight of the horses gave her a warm feeling. They reminded her of home.

After a moment of observation, she realized with a thrill that each horse represented a tribute. The District 4 horses had swirls of water splashing around their hooves. District 9 wore shining gold saddles just like their outfits from the chariot ride. And best of all was the fiery red horse in a sparkling purple vest with blue ribbons entwined in her mane.

Olivia was just stopping to admire it when the ride gave a sudden lurch and started up a carnival version of the Capitol theme. She let out a short scream, then clapped her hands over her mouth. She hadn't expected the horses would come to life! They were now bobbing up and down, giving the impression that they were racing along the ground. It was as if an invisible presence had started up the rides…the Ferris wheel had started rotating too.

Olivia's thrill at the discovery suddenly wore off. She hadn't observed the horses' faces until now, only interested in the portrayal of each tribute's appearance. But she had been around the animals long enough to be able to read their emotions as well as any human's. And now, with their eyes rolling and their nostrils flared, it was clear that these horses were terrified.

They gave the impression that they were straining at their reins, trying to escape. But it was all in vain. They were stuck here, doomed to turn in these endless circles for all eternity…

_I don't want to stay here anymore._ Olivia thought, feeling rather disturbed. She stepped off the ride before it could reach its full speed and started walking steadily away from it. Perhaps she could find shelter somewhere else.

* * *

Cara hadn't seen anyone all day, and it was unnerving.

She had been wandering the buildings, collecting what she could find, but it appeared that most of the pantries had been cleaned out by now. At least she had a good amount of food to keep her going. But seeing no sign of the other tributes…well, it was strange. The cannon hadn't even gone off today. Of course, this was all very good, but she couldn't help but wonder what everyone else was doing…

The sound of the anthem starting up caused her to jump in surprise. She moved towards a window and peered into the sky. But there were no faces looking back at her tonight. She sighed, thinking, _14 tributes left…_

_Pat…pat…_

The sound of soft footsteps caused her to whip around. Abbadon was only yards away from her, hunched over in a predator's crouch. He had been trying to sneak up on her. As soon as their eyes met, he lunged.

With a short scream, Cara dodged around him and ran for it. With her foot injury, she couldn't sprint. She could only jog in her usual lopsided gait, as fast as she could. She veered around corners, headed for the staircase. Abbadon was right behind her. Her grip tightened on her scythe as she hobbled down the steps.

_Should I turn and fight?_ She thought frantically, but she was too afraid. She just gave into instinct and kept going. Finally, she made it to the first floor and burst outside. She leaped to the side of the door, pressing herself against the building, and waited for Abbadon to come sprinting out after her. She held her scythe at the ready—as soon as he appeared, she would behead him.

She forced herself to stay calm, taking deep breaths. But Abbadon didn't show. It was as if she had left his territory and had reached a safe zone.

The truth was, Abbadon had hesitated, suspecting that she would pull some sort of stunt as soon as he came out of the building. He went to seek out a window and found he was right. She was standing to the side of the door, holding the scythe. After a minute of waiting, she turned and quickly limped away, disappearing into an alley. He watched her go. "See you later." He growled softly.

Cara left to find a different building that would hopefully contain safer tributes. She picked one at random and went inside. She selected a random room on the first floor, found a closet, and collapsed, exhausted. She was asleep within minutes.

Barely an hour later, she was rudely awoken when someone opened the closet. Her eyes snapped open to see two figures standing over her. Trying to blink sleep from her eyes, she struggled to get ahold of her scythe and stand up. But she didn't attack, and neither did the other two tributes.

She recognized them as the boy and the girl from District 7. Tasi and Calista. Calista was looking wary, holding a knife at the ready. Tasi appeared calmer.

"Hello…" He greeted awkwardly.

"Hey." Cara responded, looking from him to Calista. They didn't seem very threatening. Perhaps they were opposed to killing innocent people, just as she was. "Am I intruding?"

"Kind of." Calista said quietly, "We staked out this building. We were just making sure no one was hiding out, waiting to kill us."

"Sorry. I'll go." Cara said quickly. _This is the weirdest conversation I've ever had…I should be murdering these people._ She thought, going to leave the closet. But the other two didn't move. "Um…excuse me."

"Wait." Tasi said, "You can stay."

Both Cara and Calista's eyes widened.

"…What?"

"You can join our alliance." Tasi said firmly, "You got a decent score in training. I remember your interview. We'd be happy to have you, that is, if you're willing."

_He remembers my interview and my non-existent secret talent._ She thought dryly. She then racked her brain, trying to remember what she knew about Tasi and Calista. They seemed nice enough, always hanging out together. They had been one of the dancing couples at the ball. Tasi was a little bit intimidating because of his size, but he seemed to be more of a gentle giant than a killing machine. But she had barely ever spoken to them. Was an alliance such a good idea? "I don't know." Was her answer.

"There are at least five Careers—we'll stand a better chance if we band together." Tasi pointed out. He made a convincing argument.

She took more time to think about it. She had food and a weapon, but she was short on other supplies. Both of these tributes had backpacks and weapons too. If the three of them joined together, they could probably make it far through the Games.

"Only if you guys are willing to part ways peacefully…when it's down to the last five or so." Cara finally agreed.

Tasi smiled and offered his hand, "Great. I'm Tasi."

"I'm Cara." She responded, taking it. Then she went to shake Calista's hand. "Hey, aren't you the girl that volunteered before they even read the name? What were you thinking?"

"I wasn't." Calista replied, her eyes narrowing.

_Oops. This isn't a good way to start out an alliance._ Cara thought, immediately regretting the question. Calista had probably gotten enough crap for her actions already.

"Come on. You can put your food in the fridge and the pantry." Tasi said, leading them to the kitchen. "We dragged a mattress we found down into the room next door. One of us stays on guard and the other sleeps. But with you, we'll be able to trade off more."

"Great." Cara said, feeling optimistic. Perhaps this would work out in her favor after all.

* * *

Sometime past midnight, each and every tribute had settled down for a good night's sleep. Only a handful were still awake, peering into the darkness, wondering if danger was lurking among the shadows. But all was calm, and these few tributes couldn't help but doze off. It had been a peaceful day. No faces had appeared in the sky. They could rest now.

_Boom_.

Then the sound of the cannon filled the silent night air and awakened the sleeping tributes, announcing yet another kill.


	13. Dawn of the Third Day

**I believe this was the last chapter that was up before the story was taken down. So for some of you, this is probably new, but I'm guessing that most of you read this one. I'll put up one more new one, but make sure to review! :)  
**

Chat snapped awake at the sound of the cannon.

The tree across from her no longer held the rock. Someone had triggered her trap. She scrambled down from her perch, silently grateful that she hadn't fallen out of it after dozing off.

A fallen figure was on the ground. It was hard to make out in the dark, but she could see a neat red wound on the back of their head where the rock had struck. The tribute, a female, was laying facedown on the ground, but Chat didn't need to turn her over to know who she was. The red hair was a dead giveaway.

Moving quickly, Chat removed the backpack from her victim's corpse and slung it around her shoulders. There was no discarded weapon, but Chat didn't care. The backpack was a huge plus.

Then the hovercraft appeared above, ready to take away the body. Chat quickly untied her shoes from the branch, put them on her feet, and left the scene of the crime. She snuck back to her sandy hideout under the boardwalk. Once there, she indulged in a meal of apples and nuts while she checked what the backpack had to offer.

A knife—excellent. Not extremely sharp or lethal, like the ones at the Cornucopia, but it would have to do. There was also a half loaf of bread, some dried fruit, more beef jerky, fresh strawberries, gloves, and a strange, cone-shaped object. She had hit the jackpot.

* * *

"I wonder who died last night." Cole said, stuffing his face with food as the Careers enjoyed breakfast.

"We'll find out tonight." Bridon replied, washing his face with fountain water. Hip, sitting next to him, went and shoved his whole face under. "Hey! Get your greasy head out of our drinking water!" Bridon snapped, yanking Hip out of it.

"My head's not greasy! I take good care of my hair." Hip argued, eyes wide with indignation. Currently, his hair was sopping wet and sticking out in every direction.

Channa couldn't help but giggle. "Don't sweat it, Hip, we all look like crap. Except me. I'm fabulous!" She went to run a hand through her hair, but it got caught in a cluster of knots and she struggled to remove it.

Sienna snorted loudly.

"Okay, maybe I'm not fabulous." Channa said, shooting a glare in the younger girl's direction, "But I'm still the most gorgeous one in the arena."

"I beg to differ!" Hip protested. Suddenly, a parachute materialized out of nowhere and floated down, landing perfectly in Hip's lap. He stared at it, looking pleasantly surprised.

"Hey, finally, a sponsor!" Cole said, smiling, "What's inside it, Hip?"

Hip opened it up and pulled out a tiny note. "From your beloved fangirls." He read out loud. Then he reached in and came up with a luscious cluster of grapes, round and moist. "Awesome! I love grapes! Thanks, ladies." He winked at no one in particular and popped one into his mouth. It was delicious and refreshing, and he savored the taste.

"Wonderful." Sienna said lightly, "Now that you've got your balls back, maybe you won't run away from a fight the next time around."

"HahahahaHA! HA! HA!

Before any of them could laugh at Sienna's comment, someone else did it for them. All of them turned to see a white bird, standing a few feet away, eyeing them hungrily. It had gray wings, a black head, and a long orange beak. They stared at it, wondering what the heck it was, when it threw its head back and crowed once more.

"HahahahaHA! HA! HA!"

"What the hell?" Bridon said, goggling at the strange bird, "Did someone sponsor us a laugh track?"

"I think it's some kind of seagull." Sienna answered, calling upon her limited knowledge of birds, "I've never seen one with a black head though. They must live in District 4."

"Do they eat seagulls there?" Cole wondered out loud. The seagull hopped a little bit closer, staring at a roll in his hand.

"Maybe." Channa shrugged, "Who knows? Hip, kill that thing so we can eat it."

Hip frowned at the seagull uncertainly. "Uhh…no thanks."

Channa blinked at him, astonished. "I'm sorry, I must have misheard you. You said no. To _me_."

"I don't want to." Hip said, flopping down and snacking on his grapes.

"Aww…does the big, bad Career have a soft spot for fuzzy animals?" Sienna said coldly. Her words were joking, but her voice was cruel.

"Okay, first of all birds have _feathers_, not fuzz…" Hip started to say, but Cole cut him off, standing up and announcing, "I'll get it for you, Channa!" He snatched up a knife and crept towards the bird.

The seagull cocked its head, as if asking, "aren't you going to give me food?" Instead, Cole flung the knife. It struck the ground the seagull had been standing on moments before. Now it was flying at him, cawing angrily. Cole fell backwards as it attacked his face.

"Cole!" Channa shrieked. She rushed forward, waving her arms frantically. The seagull veered away and flew off in the direction of the beach, laughing all the way. They watched it go, feeling a little bit freaked out.

"Note to self: Don't mess with seagulls." Cole groaned, reaching up and tenderly touching his forehead. The bird's beak had carved a long red gash, but luckily it wasn't too deep.

"Oh you poor thing!" Channa fussed, "Here, I'll get you the towel." She began to dig around in each backpack, but of course she couldn't find it. That particular backpack was in the other alliance's possession at the moment. "It's not here!" Channa wailed, "Someone must have stolen it!"

"It's all right. I'll use my sweatshirt." Cole said cheerfully, pushing a sleeve to his forehead. "Too bad we don't have any disinfectant."

"You'll be fine." Sienna said curtly, "Besides, you just guard the camp. It's not as if we need you."

"Sienna!" Channa said angrily, "How can you say that? Guarding the camp is a big, big job!"

Sienna shrugged. "Sure. But _we're_ the ones who do all the dirty work."

"Why don't you guard the camp for once, Sienna?" Cole said quietly, looking down and avoiding her gaze. His voice betrayed how frustrated he felt. "You're only 12, after all."

Her eyes widened furiously. She glowered at Cole, saying nothing.

"Speaking of dirty work," Bridon said, picking up his gigantic knife and pointing it at Channa and Cole, "Finish up with him so we can get an early start. I want to see if we can find Frederick or Abbadon today."

* * *

After joining forces with Julia, Frederick thought things would become easier. On their first evening together, he had built a fire under the pier, using his binocular lenses and the last rays of the setting sun. It was the perfect place to build one, safe and out of sight from the other tributes.

Julia had then produced a large hunk of raw meat, which they cooked to perfection, and shared for dinner. They ate it with a side of crackers and oysters. It was delicious. With stomachs full, they settled in for their shifts of sleeping and keeping watch.

Then came morning. Julia was rewrapping Frederick's leg for him when she said suddenly, "So what the heck's so special about water?"

The Career stared at her, wondering how to answer such a strange question. "Well…it's a drink, for starters. It's a food source. It's fun to swim in…"

Julia snorted. "Fun to swim in? Sure…"

"You can't swim, can you?" Frederick guessed. He was spot on. Julia didn't answer, glaring down at his leg as she wrapped it up.

"There!" She said when she was done, "Tell me if it's cutting off your circulation."

"No, it's perfect." Frederick replied, testing it out. "I'm going to go fishing now."

Julia's eyes widened. "What? No! You can't go in the water! The salt will sting your wound!"

"We have to restock our food supply." Frederick said calmly, "You don't have to come in with me or anything. Just keep watch on shore."

Julia still felt nervous. She hated the ocean—it was terrifying, with its hidden depths and pounding waves. She had never encountered it before now, but she was instantly fearful. But she agreed to keep watch on shore, for Frederick's sake.

She watched him wade out into the water. He was still limping a great deal, but he didn't let that hinder him. Once the water became deep, he began paddling, his head bobbing above the surface. _He's going to drown!_ She screamed inwardly, but forced herself to remain calm. He was from District 4. He knew what he was doing.

Once he had gone a fair distance into the water, he suddenly stood up. The water only reached to his waist, at least when a wave wasn't sweeping by him. She blinked, astonished. The water had been above his head moments ago. How was he suddenly on his feet? _Sandbar._ The word resonated in her head.

Frederick tensed up, peering into the water. He was completely still, no doubt waiting to spear some fish with his trident. Julia, breathing a sigh of relief, sunk down into the sand and watched him work his magic.

Barely a minute had passed when she was back on her feet, screaming, "SHARK! SHARK IN THE WATER! Get out of there, Frederick!"

Frederick glanced back to see Julia leaping about in the sand, shrieking her head off. He rolled his eyes, having half a mind to ignore her. But she would draw unwanted attention to their camp, and he didn't want to have to relocate. So he swam back to shore and limped towards her, dripping wet. She ran to meet him.

"Frederick, there was a shark out there!" She exclaimed, her eyes filling with tears.

"They were _dolphins_." Frederick said, gritting his teeth.

Julia paused. "…They were what?"

"They were dolphins! Harmless mammals! Look!" He pointed fiercely out to the waves, where gray fins were slicing through the surface of the water every so often. "A shark's fin would just cut straight across if it was swimming along the surface. Dolphins curve in and out every so often because they need to breathe the air." He tried to explain patiently.

Julia still looked doubtful. "…Are you sure?"

"Positive." Frederick answered, "Why don't you head down the beach and see if you can find any crabs or mussels? They should be closer to the shore."

"Okay." She agreed, and began to trudge away, "But be careful! I won't be watching your back."

"I'll be fine." Frederick promised, relieved to see her go. "Just make yourself useful."

She smiled and went on her way. He swam back out to the sandbar; ignoring the sting in his leg, ready to have a second go at fishing.

Julia, meanwhile, wandered down the beach, searching the sand for some trace of food. She spotted a few fiddler crabs, but they saw her coming and quickly retreated into their holes. She tried digging around in the sand for anything that would pass as food, but she found nothing. So she kept going, feeling gloomy. She had always prided herself on her common sense, but the arena was completely throwing her for a loop. _I shouldn't have screamed like that…Frederick probably thinks I'm useless._ She sighed.

Then she perked up, spotting a large shape further up shore. She jogged over to it, silently hoping that it would be a food source. But it didn't look like anything she had ever seen before. The thing appeared to be a large, purplish balloon, about three to four feet across. It was gigantic. She reached out cautiously and prodded the bulbous thing with a toe. It appeared to be dead, whatever it was.

_Maybe Frederick will know what it is._ She noticed the balloon resting in a mess of long, blue strands, which were outstretched towards the beach. Trails in the sand showed that they had been dragged along. The waves must have washed it in at high tide.

Julia bent down, preparing to grab the strange thing and take it back to camp, when someone grabbed her arm and roughly pulled her back. She let out a short scream of surprise, struggling to get away. She easily tore herself from her attacker's grasp and whipped around, preparing for a fight.

"Hey! Frederick, you scared me." She said, sighing in relief when she saw who it was. She spotted two wriggling fish impaled on his trident. "Oh good, you caught some…"

"You're lucky I got here in time!" Frederick exclaimed, glaring down at the balloon, "Don't you have any idea what you were about to do?"

"What?" She asked, suddenly feeling scared, "What is this thing?"

"It's a muttation. It's called a Spider-Man."

"…Spider-Man?" Julia repeated skeptically, arching an eyebrow.

Frederick nodded. "We learned about them in school. During the Dark Days, the Capitol fused the DNA of the Portuguese Man o' War with that of a spider and released their creations into the waters of District 4. It was to ensure no one could escape by boat. The Spider-Men were trained to track down fleeing rebels, climb onto their ships using their tentacles, and silently paralyze and devour everyone on board. We're lucky this one's dead."

"Wait. So is this a jellyfish?" Julia questioned, trying to recall what little knowledge she knew on sea creatures. It had tentacles like one, but other than that, it didn't look like one at all.

Frederick shook his head. "No. It doesn't just float with the tides. It has full control over its body and can use its tentacles to walk along like a gigantic spider."

Julia shivered. "That's really creepy."

"Yeah, well, just be happy you didn't touch the tentacles, or you would be paralyzed. Now let's get back to camp." The two turned and headed back the way they had come.

When they had disappeared completely, Chat emerged from her hiding place, completely coated with sand. A smug smile spread across her lips. Armed with her knife and gloves, she approached the Spider-Man and began to cut away at a tentacle…

* * *

Abbadon had ventured away from his building and decided to check out the amusement area today. It was completely deserted. The Ferris wheel and carousel were still. He ignored them, and came across the crane game the Careers had disregarded. The sight of the amazing prizes it had to offer excited Abbadon. That grenade was as good as his.

He went to move the control stick, but the crane didn't respond. He looked at it quizzically. He had never played the game before and wondered what he could be doing wrong. He looked at the controls and circled the machine a few times. The Head Gamemaker stared back at him, as he tried to figure out what to do.

Then he spotted it—a scanner that resembled the one they used on Reaping day to sign you in. Next to it was a sharp, little needle. Abbadon pricked his finger, then pushed it onto the scanner. _Abbadon Sirus_. His name lit up on a screen as the scanner absorbed his blood. Then the machine came to life.

He grinned, pushing the control stick a second time. The claw responded and he moved it towards the grenade, which was in the farthest corner. He hit the button. His heart pounded with excitement as he watched the claw drop and close around the grenade.

But then the claw came back up, merely brushing the grenade, and made its way back to the starting position on its own. Abbadon stared in disbelief and cursed inwardly. He pricked his finger again, feeding the machine his blood, and tried once more. But the claw still refused to pick it up. Deciding that the claw probably just couldn't grasp the grenade, he went for the knife on his third try. But the same thing happened.

"Useless thing!" He growled, kicking the machine. He was about to try a fourth time, but the sound of running feet caught his attention. He turned to see the Careers barreling down the boardwalk, straight for him. As soon as they saw that he had sensed their presence, they broke out into excited shouts.

He turned and fled, abandoning the crane game.

"Yeah, you better run!" Hip hollered as they closed in.

"Cowards!" Abbadon shouted back, "You're only strong in numbers!"

"And you're dead meat!" Channa screamed back.

Abbadon's mind was racing furiously as he tried to figure out what to do. He couldn't fight them; he was greatly outnumbered and had no weapon. He probably couldn't outrun them, unless he managed to lose them somehow. Should he try to hide?

As if answering his question, the House of Mirrors loomed over him, its open door inviting him inside. Without a moment to lose, he entered the house and was met with countless images of his panicked expression. It was like being in a nightmare. But he didn't slow and pounded through the narrow maze. The Careers followed him inside.

"You can run, but you can't hide!" Bridon bellowed, his voice echoing in the darkness. "Come on, Abbadon! Where's your confidence now? Thought you said you could take me!"

His words excited the rest of the Careers. There was definitely going to be a big showdown between Bridon and Abbadon at some point. It was a given. And they could be minutes away from that moment…

They forged on, eager to seek out Abbadon and watch Bridon destroy him. But in their excitement, they managed to get separated in the maze of mirrors. Bridon had charged ahead, Hip had gone another direction, Channa had fallen behind, and Sienna had somehow vanished altogether. With Abbadon lurking in the shadows, this was not the best tactic.

Channa had slowed to a walk and was in the process of finding the rest of her pack. "Guys? Where did you go?" She whispered shakily, half expecting Abbadon to come out of nowhere and do away with her. "This isn't funny…"

Her heart felt as if it was about to burst out of her chest. She strained her ears to hear Bridon's voice or the sound of footsteps. But it was dead silent. _Stay calm, stay calm…_ She whimpered inwardly, trying not to cry. Suddenly, she was aware of someone standing right behind her, breathing down her neck…

"BANG!" They shouted right in her ear, "You're dead!"

She shrieked and whipped around, stabbing her sai at the air. Hip had retreated back a few steps, as if he had been expecting this. He was grinning triumphantly.

"Hip, I am going to kill you!" She wailed. He just laughed in response. Channa disdainfully turned away and began to fix her hair, glaring at her reflection in the mirror.

"Oh man. I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist." Hip said, once he had finished snickering.

"It's fine. Let's just get out of here. This place gives me the creeps." Channa growled, trying to disregard what had just happened.

Bridon had heard Channa scream and was making his way back to the entrance of the maze, thinking that Abbadon must have gotten to her. As he turned a corner, he ran right into Sienna, who was just standing there. She looked up at him coolly. "You know…" She said in a strange voice, "I could kill you right here and everyone would think it was Abbadon."

Bridon leaned down so that he was at eye level with her. "I'd like to see you try." He said dangerously.

"Oh! There you are." Channa sighed in relief as she and Hip rounded a corner. "Let's get out of here. What are you doing?"

Bridon straightened up. "I was looking for you. I thought Abbadon had gotten to you."

"Oh, Bridon!" Channa said, batting her eyelashes, "How kind of you to worry about—"

"But I see I was wrong. Thanks for nothing." Bridon finished, turning and continuing on with his search for Abbadon.

Channa huffed loudly and fell in step behind him. They scoured the rest of the maze and came out the exit. "He must have escaped." Sienna said bitterly.

"But he can't have gone far." Bridon said, determination flaring in his eyes. "Come on, let's keep looking."

**RIP Olivia. 11 down, 13 remain.**


	14. Building Tension

**Meant to put this at the end of the last chapter, but what do ya'll think of my muttation? :D I'm pretty darn proud of it.**

**Anyways, REJOICE! We've finally caught up! Celebrate by leaving reviews! Because I'm still kinda sad I lost over a hundred... TT_TT**

That night, Olivia's picture appeared in the sky. She had been the one that passed the night before. No one knew the circumstances of her death except for Chat. Most likely, she had been wandering in the dark forest, confused and disoriented. The white shoes had stood out in the shadows and she had unwittingly approached it. She hadn't seen the trap and had sensed the falling rock too late.

Other than that, the day had been particularly uneventful. If someone didn't die in the next day or so, the Capitol would be thirsting for blood.

The Careers knew this and were frustrated by the fact that they hadn't managed to kill anyone after Carson. But there was nothing they could do about it. They would just have to step up their game. So they ate a small dinner and went to bed with Bridon on watch.

On the opposite side of the arena, Frederick stayed on watch while Julia slept. The ocean was calm, the sky was clear, and the air was cool. It was a perfect night. _If only I could enjoy it more._ He thought wistfully.

Abbadon, meanwhile, had abandoned his usual hideout, on the top floor of the tallest building. Once it was safe to enter, he had relocated to the House of Mirrors. Once inside, he memorized the layout of the maze, figuring out which paths led to dead ends and which led to the exits. He was pleased with his new location. No tribute would be daring enough to enter the House of Mirrors. And if someone did, he would be waiting inside, stalking them through the dim labyrinth, waiting until they backed themselves into a corner so he could strike.

Tasi, Calista, and Cara were sharing a mattress they had set up in a room connected to the kitchen. Cara was snoozing peacefully, while Calista and Tasi spoke softly.

"How come I never saw you at school?" Calista was wondering.

"I dropped out in 9th grade. Went to work full time in the lumber yard." Tasi answered.

"Is that where you injured your knee?" Calista asked quietly, running her finger along it lightly as she leaned against him.

Tasi cringed a little bit, heart pounding nervously. He wasn't used to this sort of attention from girls. "When I was twelve," He said, trying to keep his voice from shaking, "I was working in my father's lumber yard and a tree fell on my leg. Tore some ligaments, broke some bones." He couldn't help but feel slightly entertained by her wide-eyed expression. He puffed out his chest and nodded. "No big deal."

"I'm sorry that happened to you…" Calista said, lowering her eyes sadly, "Sometimes I wonder why bad things happen to good people."

Tasi shrugged. "You just can't win at life."

They talked for at least an hour. It was almost midnight when Tasi told Calista, "Get some sleep. I'll keep watch."

During this time, Mitch found himself wandering along the boardwalk. It was pretty dark, but the moon bathed the arena in a soft glow, so he could see just fine. He paused under a cluster of coconut palms and gazed up at the fruit they bore.

_I wonder if a Gamemaker would kill a tribute by dropping a coconut on their head…_ He wondered. It seemed like a pretty stupid way to die. But maybe the audience would appreciate the humor, so they would do it anyways. Not waiting to find out, Mitch continued on, heading in the direction of the Ferris wheel. He had been here already, but he found himself heading back towards it. Maybe the food stands had now filled up with food. Having found a pretty large stash on the first day, he was doing all right on his own, but it never hurt to have some more.

He checked each stand—no luck.

_I should get some sleep soon…_ He told himself, but he didn't feel tired at all. So he walked on over to the carousel. He had noticed the horses' resemblance to the tributes earlier on, but he hadn't hung around long enough to observe them further. So he passed by each one, nodding his approval.

Then he decided it was time to move on. He began to trudge away, when he heard a loud creaking sound. He turned around to see all of the horses had turned their heads in his direction. They were looking at him. He blinked back astonishment, thinking he was imagining things.

But he wasn't. The horses continued to creak as they came to life, pawing at the ground with their hooves. He backed away slowly. They were all staring at him with their deadpan eyes, staring straight into his soul…

He turned and began to run. The horses shrieked angrily, flailing wildly to escape their bounds, their fiberglass muscles creaking with the effort. The Capitol anthem began playing, but the ride didn't spin. The carousel ponies continued their desperate struggle to free themselves, filling the air with their screams of fury.

Finally, there was a sharp squealing sound as they ripped themselves from their bonds. Mitch spared a glance back and could see the pack of colorful horses galloping towards him, closing in. His insides filled with fear. They were gaining ground so fast—he felt as if he were moving in slow motion.

Suddenly, something struck him in the back of the head, causing him to fall flat on his face. His vision went fuzzy, but he could just make out a coconut rolling away from him…

Then the horses caught up and trampled him into the ground.

Mitch snapped awake, panting, and covered in sweat. He was alive. It was only a nightmare. He took deep, shaky breaths, calming himself. The carousel did not come to life. He wasn't in the amusement park…he was in a building, leaning on the wall by an open window that brought a cool sea breeze with it.

But then why was his head throbbing? He reached up and rubbed the sore spot on his head, wondering if a coconut had actually hit him. Then he spotted the parachute on the floor next to him. It must have clocked him on the head while he was sleeping. Smiling, he picked it up and opened it.

"A radio!" He could feel happiness spread through him, all the way to his fingertips. It filled him with indescribable warmth. Someone out there cared about him…some crazy Capitol person that must love music as much as he did. "Thank you, whoever you are." He whispered. Then he spotted a tiny note. He recalled that their mentors were allowed to leave them short bits of advice, usually no longer than five words.

_Keep the volume down._ It read. Mitch smiled. He would keep it low, but with his bad hearing, his mentor would probably not be pleased with his definition of "low."

Mitch observed the radio. It was small, not very fancy, with only a few buttons. It was slightly bigger than his hand and came with a wrist strap, so he could carry it with him easily. He couldn't wait to try it out tomorrow morning.

He fell asleep, smiling, with the radio clutched in his hand.

* * *

Calista and Cara were both sleeping soundly while Tasi kept watch. He was having a hard time staying awake, and was considering waking up Cara to take his place, when he heard the soft click of the door opening. He paused, wondering if his fatigue was causing him to imagine things. He listened for a few minutes.

Suddenly, a parachute came floating into the room, drifting lazily towards Tasi. He snatched it out of the air, glancing at the other two tributes, wondering if it was meant for them. Overcome with curiosity, he opened it anyways.

There was Hope's face, staring back at him. It was an old picture that had been taken a long time ago, with one of the few cameras that could be found in District 7. In it, Hope's soft brown eyes shone with youth. She was looking directly into the camera, ears pricked, tail a blur as she wagged it. It was one of Tasi's favorite pictures of her. A note that came with it read, "She's waiting for you."

"Thanks, Dad." Tasi whispered. It must have cost him an arm and a leg to get this to him.

Tasi tucked the photo into his pocket and closed his eyes, swimming in memories of his home. He awoke a few minutes later when light came spilling into the room they were in. His eyes snapped open, but he still felt extremely disoriented. He grabbed his axe and cautiously began moving towards the kitchen. Someone was rustling through their refrigerator, trying to steal their food.

Tasi peered around the corner. The door of the fridge was blocking the face of whoever it was. "Hey!" He barked, coming around the corner, raising his axe as if he were about to attack.

The other tribute jumped and slammed the refrigerator door, looking at Tasi with panicked eyes. He recognized her as the wiry, blonde girl from District 6. Chat.

"What are you doing?" He demanded, waving the axe at her, rage building inside of him. "You stay out of our food!" He couldn't bring himself to attack her. She looked so small and helpless—she wore gloves, but her hands were empty. She hadn't managed to swipe any food and didn't seem to be carrying a weapon. She wasn't a threat.

Without waiting for a second invitation, she turned tail and ran from the house. Tasi stood there, wondering if he should have invited her to join them. But there was something about her that he didn't trust.

"What happened…?" A sleepy voice asked from behind him. He looked over his shoulder to see Cara had woken up.

"A tribute was trying to steal our food, but I chased her off." Tasi told her, "Do you mind if we switch off? I'm dead tired."

"Sure." Cara yawned. "Which tribute was it?"

"Chat." Tasi answered. The conversation ended there and Tasi settled in for a good night's sleep while Cara stood guard.

Meanwhile, Chat was running steadily back to her home in the sand. Once there, she carefully removed her gloves using a stick. She thought about Tasi catching her. She had concealed her knife in her sock, but there was no way she could have taken him on. Even if he _were _averse to killing others, he still would have destroyed her in self-defense.

_I'll just have to find other means._ She thought, curling up and closing her eyes. _Oh wait. I already did._ A mischievous smile crossed her face.

* * *

Mitch awoke in a good mood. He had slept peacefully after receiving his radio and couldn't wait to try it out. He sat up, holding it in his hands, and looked at it fondly. He wondered what song would be playing when he turned it on—he was going to savor this moment for all it was worth. He flipped the switch, but instead of hearing music, he heard the voice of a broadcaster.

"—_and the Careers are on the move! Looks like they're heading into the city area. Perhaps—"_

Mitch hit a button and changed the station.

"_And now for some smooth jazz. Here's another oldie for you folks…it's called 'Summertime.'"_

"Much better." Mitch smiled. He loved oldies, especially jazz music. This was the perfect station. So he bit into an apple, settled back, and just let himself get lost in the music.

* * *

Calista was the last one on watch for the alliance of three. Nothing of interest occurred. When the sun finally came up and cast its light through the windows, her two teammates began to stir.

"Good morning!" She greeted cheerfully.

Tasi groaned in response.

"Good morning." Cara responded, smiling, "What's for breakfast?"

"They've prepared a three-course meal for us, complete with five different types of pancakes and ten different types of syrup." Calista said with a straight face.

"Really?" Tasi said groggily, looking faintly surprised, "Is it at the Cornucopia?"

"I was kidding." Calista laughed, cuffing him on the shoulder. His face reddened in response.

"Ugh…I sure could go for some pancakes. Even if it meant fighting off the Careers." Cara said wistfully, thinking off the delicious meals from the Capitol. Her stomach growled in agreement. "I'm gonna get something to eat." She got up and strolled into the kitchen. She opened a pantry and pulled out a few rolls and some stale cornflakes. "Would anybody like some orange juice to go with their pancakes?" She called out merrily.

"No thanks. Got any iced coffee in there?" Calista answered.

Cara could hear Tasi mumble, "You guys are way too chipper…"

"I don't know, let me check!" Cara replied, grinning. She went to open the refrigerator. As soon as she did, something blue and slimy came spilling out of it. Her first thought was that a monster was attacking her. She shrieked as it slopped on top of her, entangling her in a web of tentacles. Hot, searing pain lanced through her entire body. It was as if she was burning. It was unlike anything she had ever experienced. Her legs gave out from under her and she hit the ground with a thud.

Tasi and Calista, who had bolted to her aid at the sound of her scream, stood there petrified.

"Cara!" Tasi cried out, reaching out to help her.

"Stop!" Calista caught his arm and held onto it. "Don't touch that thing, whatever it is! Can't you see what it did to her!"

Cara was lying on the floor, unmoving and silent. Her eyes were wide with shock. She didn't appear to be breathing.

Tasi swallowed nervously. "Is she…dead?"

"No, she's not." Calista said, trying to keep a level head, "We would have heard a cannon. But come on, we gotta get that off of her, and quick."

They used their towel and their sweatshirts to gather up the tentacles without touching them. They peeled them from her skin, uncovering red, whip like welts underneath. Cara stayed still, paralyzed in the same position. They had to keep reminding themselves that she was still alive.

"That Chat girl." Tasi said suddenly, "She did this."

"Yes. She did." Calista responded sadly, "But don't blame yourself for thinking she was just stealing food, Tasi. Any of us would have assumed the same."

Tasi could feel a deep rage building within him. "I'll kill her." He hissed dangerously. "I'll kill her for this."

Calista looked at him, wide-eyed with shock. She had never seen him like this.

Then he blinked, as if coming to his senses. The rage washed away from his expression as quickly as it had come. "Sorry." He whispered, "It's just unforgivable, what she did. What can we do to help Cara?"

"Let's try putting water on her wounds." Calista suggested, "To wash away anything that may have come off the tentacles."

They set to work, pouring water all over her body, hoping that they were doing the right thing for her. They wished they had more knowledge on the subject matter.

"I bet if I were from District 4 I would know how to handle this…" Tasi grunted ruefully when they had finished. "Is there anything else we can do?"

"All we can do now is wait." Calista murmured, staring sadly at Cara's petrified eyes.

"…Do you think she'll wake up?" Tasi whispered.

"I don't know, Tasi." Calista said, her voice cracking slightly, "I just don't know."

**That scene with Mitch and his radio is one of my favorites so far XD It's good to be back! :)**

**Oh and if you ever do get stung by a Man-of-War, don't put water on the stings. It'll /Fr**dvfffffff  
**Sorry, Finnick wanted to put in his two cents. Don't put water on the stings, it'll make the affected area worse. Use saltwater instead. Sucks to be Cara.**


	15. Betrayal

**I'm liking this image uploader! But for some reason the story is using my avatar instead of the one I uploaded. Eh, I'm sure it'll get fixed soon...I'd like to put a picture of a disaster on, but I guess that would be infringing copyright unless I took the picture. I dunno.  
**

**I want to thank Asami Sato for helping me come up with a much better summary than I had before. I also want to thank everyone for keeping up with this story and coming back to read it, even though you had to put up with a lot of crap as I tried to get it up and running again.**

**Read on! I like this chapter a lot. You know if a chapter is named 'Betrayal' it's got to be good!  
**

Julia woke up to see Frederick approaching her with a few fish speared on the end of his trident. "Come on! Light a fire and let's eat!" He said, tossing her the binocular lenses.

She blinked sleepily. "You're in a good mood." She stated, fumbling for the lenses.

Frederick snatched them up and started the fire himself. "I found a load of shellfish and caught a few more fish." He told her, taking one and starting to roast it. "Since we're doing so well on food, we'll have plenty of free time."

"Free time to do what?" Julia asked curiously, cracking open a shellfish.

Frederick smiled mischievously. "Teach you how to swim, of course."

Julia was instantly on her feet, backing away. "Ohh, no! This alliance is over if you think I'm going in the water."

"Oh, come on. I guarantee water isn't as scary as you think." He said calmly, "And I won't let you drown. I'll be by your side the entire time."

"Don't do this to me, Frederick." She whined.

"Too bad. The ocean is perfectly safe, if you know how to handle yourself."

"But we don't even have swimsuits…"

"The sun will dry you off!"

It took the whole breakfast to convince her, but she finally agreed. On one condition.

"We go to the amusement park and have some fun!" Julia proclaimed cheerfully.

Frederick groaned and rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "Fine. But we're not riding the Ferris wheel. That's too dangerous."

"Aww! But what if we ducked down?" Julia protested.

"And what if it stopped with us at the very top and never let us off?" Frederick retorted.

Julia dramatically crumpled to the ground and groaned, "You win. But we have to do everything else, okay?"

"Deal." Frederick responded, smiling. At first, Frederick had been grateful for her presence. Then he had grown exasperated with the stubborn girl, constantly bailing her out of situations. Now, she was beginning to grow on him. Her stubbornness had a certain charm to it. And she wasn't like other girls, fawning over his looks every waking moment.

_Oh my gosh, Frederick is SO. HOT!_ Julia gushed inwardly, immensely excited for their day in the amusement park. But first, she had to get past the horror of swimming in the ocean. But the reward would be worth it. So they headed out into the surf together.

But as soon as the water touched her toes, Julia recoiled and said firmly, "Okay. I admit defeat. Let's just sit in the sand all day."

"No. We made a deal." Frederick scooped her up in his strong arms and began wading into the water with her while she shrieked and struggled to get away. Once they reached the sandbar, he dropped her with a loud splash. She flailed her arms, stirring up the blue water around her.

"I'm drowning!" She wailed.

"The tide's out." Frederick said calmly, "There's only four feet of water, five or six when a wave goes by. Chill out. Just paddle your arms and legs and you'll float right to the top!"

"I can't!" She cried out, splashing around pathetically, "Help me!" A wave washed over her, filling her mouth with disgusting salt water. She sputtered pathetically, aggravated that Frederick was just standing there and watching her die. Maybe this had been his plan all along: to make it look like an accident.

"Yes you can!" He said in a fierce, commanding voice, "You'll be fine."

"You promise?"

"I promise. I've got you."

She felt his arms encircle her, bringing her back to the surface. She tried to calm herself down and do as he said. She moved her arms and legs through the water, desperately trying to keep her head from submerging. To her surprise, she felt much lighter in the water and was able to stay afloat. She was even moving! She let out a triumphant laugh and got another mouthful of water as a wave washed over her.

Frederick saw her disappear under. "Julia?" He called in concern. Then he saw her reappear, her wet bangs covering her eyes.

She bobbed towards him, exclaiming, "I was swimming! I was swimming!" Then another wave washed over her and he lost sight of her once more. Before she could join the list of dead tributes, he reached down, grabbed her arm, and lifted her out of the water.

"Congratulations," He said smoothly, "You have just mastered the doggy paddle."

She giggled.

"Would you like to try it again?"

"_No_."

Frederick sighed. "All right. Let's go to the amusement park." She cheered, but he let go of her and watched another wave knock her under. She emerged looking baffled, water streaming off her body. "But first you have to swim back to shore!"

Julia half-swam, half-got-washed-up-on-shore-by-waves while Frederick watched. She finally stumbled out onto the sand, completely waterlogged. "Can we dry off before we go?" She croaked, looking dead tired.

"Sure. Have any other fears you'd like to face today?" Frederick asked casually.

"If I do, I'm not telling you." Julia growled, wringing out her ponytail.

They took an hour to dry off and then headed for the amusement park.

* * *

Tasi and Calista could not feel more relieved when a parachute came floating into their abode. What they found inside was medicine for Cara and a note that read, "Apply every 3-4 hours." They quickly spread the thick cream on the red welts, then sat back and waited for it to work.

After a few hours of being paralyzed, and one hour with the cream applied, Cara finally came to. Her fellow tributes, which had been worrying the whole time, were extremely relieved. But Cara was in a lot of pain when she moved, and remained laying on the floor.

"It hurts so bad…it hurts so bad…" She kept saying, tears running silently down her face. They tried dabbing more water on the welts, but she screamed in pain when they did so. They instantly discarded that terrible healing method.

"Cara, I wish we could help." Calista whispered, her eyes tearing up too, "But we have to wait a little while before we apply the cream again…"

"…Never should have joined your alliance…" Cara murmured weakly, closing her eyes.

"Don't say that." Tasi said firmly, "We're going to take care of you."

And that's just what they did. Over time, Cara's pain subsided more and more with each coating of medicine. Feeling began to spread back into her body, starting with her torso, and moving out to her fingers and toes. She tried to clench and unclench them, but they were stiff, and it took a lot of effort.

Eventually she could move, but she still moved tenderly and cringed at the effort it took. Everything she did caused a burning pain. She craved the cool touch that came with applying the medicine, but the others stopped her from wasting it all at once. Cara hated the sight of the red welts covering her body and she hated feeling like a burden to the others. But she tried to stay optimistic.

_Everything's going to be fine._ She told herself. But at the sight of her ruined skin, she couldn't help but doubt her own words.

* * *

After recovering from her ordeal, Julia was rearing to go to the amusement park. She ran ahead of Frederick like a kid in a candy store. "Let's get on the spinning horses first!" She said, wriggling with excitement.

"Okay." Frederick agreed, but he was keeping an eye out for other tributes. He didn't want anyone sneaking up on them.

Julia pranced over, observing each one of the horses. They were still, giving her time to look over each one. Frederick followed her along, looking at them grimly. It was obvious that they represented each tribute, but he didn't say anything on the matter, and neither did Julia. Finally, the ride gave a lurch and began to turn.

Julia raced around the perimeter of the ride, located the District 1 horses and hopped onto the darker one. Frederick went to climb onto the one next to her, but she squealed, "No! Ride me! Ride me!" She pointed to a reddish brown horse covered in leaves, prancing a few spots ahead. Frederick rolled his eyes and obliged.

Frederick was on the lookout the entire time, trying to watch their surroundings for any sign of approaching danger. Julia enjoyed herself, having never ridden a carnival ride before. She laughed the whole time, closing her eyes and imagining she was on a real horse. She let her worries slip away for the few minutes that the ride ran. Then it slowed to a stop, but she remained on her horse with her eyes closed, wishing that the moment could have gone on longer.

"Come on. Let's go." Frederick's voice snapped her out of it.

"Don't you wanna go again?" She questioned, looking disappointed.

He shook his head. "We shouldn't stay here long."

"Okay." She agreed, climbing off her horse. "Oh, hey, did you see yourself back here?" She led him back to the District 4 horses, which appeared to be part fish, covered in scales with water around their hooves. Frederick paused and stared at the caramel brown pony with soft blue-green eyes. _Bassin_.

The thought of her filled him with regret. "Come on, let's get out of here." He said, pushing away his regret, "…Julia?" She had disappeared. "Julia!" He called, walking around the carousel. He found her standing by the District 11 ponies, gazing at the black one that so obviously represented Caden, her district partner. Frederick stood back, giving her a moment.

She reached forward and patted the horse on the forehead. Then she turned to Frederick. "Okay. Onto the next attraction!" She declared, smiling. But the smile didn't quite touch her eyes.

Frederick knew better than to say anything and wandered over to the whack-a-seagull game. Julia followed. She lost the first round and griped about losing. Frederick let her win the second round and she griped about him letting her win. Then they tried some game where you had to hit a switch with a hammer to ring a bell, but neither of them was strong enough to win it. Julia teased Frederick for his failing, but he was a good sport about it and retorted, "Hey, did I hear _you _ring the bell? I don't think so." So they passed by that, taking the hammer to make sure no one else would make use of it for a weapon, and then came upon the claw game.

"Wow, look at all of this…" Julia breathed, "Frederick, what should I try to win?"

"Just go for that water bottle." He said, observing each item, "We're running low and it's the closest to the claw."

At first, they couldn't figure out how to start up the machine. But then Frederick recognized the blood scanner. Before he could offer to do it himself, Julia stabbed the palm of her hand on the needle and slapped it onto the scanner. She grabbed the claw, put it directly above the bottle of water, and dropped it down. But it couldn't seem to pick up the water bottle. Thinking it was a fluke, Julia stabbed her hand once more and tried again. And again. And again.

"Julia, stop!" Frederick said, grabbing her hand and holding it up for her to see. Her eyes widened at the sight of blood dripping off of it.

"But I swear I can do it, just give me one more try…"

"No. You're bleeding. Let's get out of here."

"Aw, come on!" She protested, "Let's do one more thing. We didn't go in the House of Mirrors yet!" She grabbed her ally's arm and began dragging him in the direction of the low, ominous building.

"No. We're going back."

"But you said we would do everything except the wheel!"

"Too bad. Let's go."

"Fine!" She hissed, "I'll just go in by myself." She turned and began to march towards the House of Mirrors, but Frederick had a bad feeling that he couldn't seem to shake.

"Julia." He caught her shoulder and turned her around. "I'm telling you, I don't think it's safe to go in there. I'm not trying to be difficult. I just want you to be safe." _And I don't want to have to bail you out of trouble again._ He added silently.

But his words had the intended effect. Her face reddened and she bowed her head. "Okay." She squeaked. Together, they walked back to their hiding place under the pier so they could patch up her hand and enjoy lunch together.

* * *

Tensions were high among the Careers as they headed back to the Cornucopia for the night. It had been another unsuccessful day of hunting and they couldn't shake the feeling that the Gamemakers would punish them if they didn't step up their game.

"There are just too many stinking places to hide in this arena!" Bridon spat angrily.

"I can't believe we haven't managed to off anyone in three days…" Hip sighed wearily.

"Shut up!" Sienna growled, "We all know it, you don't need to remind us."

"Chill out Sienna!" Channa snapped, "He didn't say anything offensive!"

Hip looked at Channa, his tired eyes shining gratefully. He opened his mouth as if to thank her, but it stretched further into a large yawn. "…I'm beat." Was all he managed.

They arrived back to an extremely bored-looking Cole. He lifted his eyebrows in question and Channa shook her head. "No luck." She said sadly. Cole stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her in a comforting gesture.

Hip gave a grumpy huff and announced, "I'm going to bed."

"I'll keep guard." Sienna declared.

"Oh, Si, honey…" Channa said in a sickeningly sweet voice, "You know you shouldn't keep guard. A growing girl needs her rest!"

Sienna glared at Channa. "But I haven't kept guard the whole time we've been here."

"Exactly." Channa smirked, "And now you know why!"

Sienna let out a loud growl. Everyone looked at her with wide eyes. Then she flopped down on a sleeping bag and curled up, facing away from everyone. Hip laid down too, the farthest he could be from Sienna.

"I'll take first watch." Channa said quietly, looking to Bridon. "You get some sleep."

He didn't argue with that and settled down for a good night's rest.

"You go ahead." Channa said kindly, looking at Cole. He shook his head.

"Thanks, but I'm not tired. I'll stay up with you for a little while. That is, if you don't mind."

"Of course not." Channa said, trying to hide her surprise.

They moved about ten yards away from the other Careers and settled down near the edge of the grassy hill. For a while, they sat in silence, just enjoying the cool breeze on their faces.

Cole looked at Channa. Her chocolate brown hair was frizzy and tangled. She was slightly sunburnt and her face was dirty. But she was still beautiful to him. He inched closer to her and reached for her hand. She didn't protest when he entwined his fingers with hers.

"Channa…" He said quietly, "What would you say if I asked you to come away with me…?"

She looked at him, surprised. "You want to leave the others?"

He nodded slowly, but certainly. "Hip's a good guy—well, even though he's a douchebag. I just don't trust the other two. I think one of them is going to snap soon and wind up killing one of us. And I don't know what I would do if it was you."

"Cole…" Channa whispered. She couldn't put her feelings into words. She had always used people for her gain. Cole was just another of those pawns. A boy, completely head over heels for her, who had come along and begged to become her personal slave. _You idiot. _She thought silently. _Don't make me care about you._

"You can be beautiful and strong without them." He said, looking deep into her eyes. "Let's leave. You and me. Right now."

"They'd hunt us down." Channa said, biting her lip uncertainly. "And I don't want to leave Hip."

Cole released her hand, taking his away. "You like Hip." He said bluntly.

She blushed. "No I don't! He's an idiot. But…I don't know. We've been in it together from the start. If we both leave, Bridon and Sienna might end up killing him." She had spoken the words without thinking, and cursed herself for saying them. _Seriously, Channa?_ She hissed inwardly, _Since when did you grow to care about these freaks? You have to kill them! _But another tiny voice responded, _I can't help it. They're my friends._ To which the first voice growled, _You don't have any friends. Only minions to throw away at the first opportunity!_

But no matter how hard she tried to tell herself that, it wasn't true. Like it or not, she was growing attached to those in her alliance. Except Sienna. She was just freaking creepy.

"So you won't come away with me?" Cole asked. The hurt in his voice was clear and made Channa feel a prick of guilt.

"No." She replied, quiet and firm.

Cole smiled at her, but the sadness he felt was evident. It showed in his big, blue eyes. Then he stood up.

"Are you leaving?" Channa asked. She didn't want him to leave.

"No." He gave a small laugh, "Just going to bed. I'm pretty tired, all of the sudden."

Channa stood up too. "I think I'll join you."

They walked back to their camp side by side. Once there, Channa kneeled down by Hip and shook him awake. He opened his mouth to let out a loud groan, but she pressed a finger to his lips. "Shush. Your turn to guard."

"_Five minutes of sleep_? That's all I get?" He scowled, looking irritable.

"Oh come on, you got at least thirty. Besides, Cole and I are tired." She said in a hushed voice.

Hip rose to his feet, letting them take his space. "Well God forbid I should prevent you and Cole from getting any sleep. Not like _I_ could use some or anything."

Cole was looking a little bit put out, as if he felt bad for switching off so early. Channa gave him a good-natured nudge. "Don't mind him. You deserve some sleep for being such a good guard."

Cole smiled, a true, genuine smile this time. "Thanks." He whispered.

"No problem." She returned the smile. There was an awkward pause. "Well…good night."

"Good night, beautiful." Cole murmured, leaning forward and kissing her softly on the cheek.

Channa flushed red and she hoped that Cole wouldn't notice in the dark. Not saying anything, they both laid down on the sleeping bag together. Cole snaked his hand into to Channa's and held it tightly. She snuggled closer to him, letting his warmth seep into her and listening to his heartbeat. She was no longer aware of Hip's presence, though he had witnessed everything.

Hip strode away from the cluster of sleeping Careers, scowling and cursing inwardly. It had been a bad day and all he wanted to do was sleep. But now, they were keeping him from doing so. To top it all off, Cole had kissed Channa in front of his face. He couldn't help feel like that was directed at him.

_Can't believe I didn't see that coming…_ Hip fumed, crouched on the dark hilltop with his mace, _I thought Channa had higher standards, but I guess I was wrong. Not that I care. I'm the most gorgeous guy in the arena. I can have any girl that I want!_

But no matter what Hip told himself, he still felt angry. He wasn't used to feeling jealous. He blamed it on lack of sleep. If only he could get his well-earned rest, then he wouldn't feel this way anymore.

He briefly recalled Sienna volunteering to keep watch. No one trusted her, but she hadn't killed anyone yet. And Hip was dead tired. Thinking straight wasn't one of his priorities at the moment. So he headed back to the Careers. He kneeled down and reached over to nudge Sienna, but before he could even touch her, she murmured, "I'm awake."

"Oh, great." Hip said groggily, "Then you can keep watch. I need my sleep."

"Excellent." Sienna whispered, standing up so that Hip could crawl into her spot. She backed off and stood over the four Careers, staring down at them. Hip was out in a matter of seconds.

This was her chance.

She grabbed her spear, standing over her alliance, studying them. She knew the cannon would announce their deaths, so she would have to work fast. She could probably off two at the most, maybe even three, depending on their reaction time. She could probably even take on the remaining one. They were all sleeping with their weapons in their hands, but they wouldn't know what hit them until it was too late.

_Now…which one to kill first…?_ She wondered, looking at each of them. It was a tough decision. She hated all of their guts.

Hip was an arrogant fool. Perhaps he should go first, for being dumb enough to put her on guard duty. And every time he cracked a joke or flirted with Channa, she wanted to gag.

Channa. Killing Channa would be enjoyable too. She didn't even _try_ to pretend that she trusted Sienna, making terrible excuses such as, "You're a growing girl!" It filled every bone in her little body with pure hatred.

Of course, if she killed Channa, Cole would go nuts. But he deserved to die too. He wasn't even a true Career, and Sienna had been against him joining from the start. She should have taken it upon herself to kill him in the Bloodbath, just as Channa and Bridon had killed Bassin and Drake. And who did he think he was? Saying that _she_ should be the one on guard, because she was young. He was a fool, just begging to be killed...

Last of all, Bridon. Her district partner. He was the biggest threat of them all, with his strength, but Sienna knew she could outrun him. If he were her first victim, she wouldn't have to worry about him pursuing her at all. But what would her district think of her, for killing one of their own? Would they even care?

As she looked at each Career in turn, she could feel more and more rage building inside her. She hated them all. If only she could kill all four of them in one blow. But finally, she came to the realization of who she wanted to kill most of all.

Sienna kneeled down in front of her chosen victim, heart pounding with excitement as she raised her spear. She had killed many times before this. This was nothing in her eyes…just taking another step towards her victory.

Sienna stabbed the point of the spear up through the Cole's ribcage, directly piercing his heart.


	16. A Broken Alliance

**Ahhh yay 42 reviews! I bet we can make it back up to a hundred before the story is over. In other news, I've started writing the 43rd HG. Once again, I couldn't help but snatch up the District 1 Male spot. Message me if you're interested! **

Hovering on the borders of consciousness, Channa could feel Cole's hand jerk suddenly in hers. Normally, anyone would have passed it off as a dream twitch. But this was the Hunger Games.

Channa was on her feet instantly, before Cole's cannon even rang out. She shrieked furiously, just as Sienna's spearhead penetrated Bridon's flesh. Luckily for him, Channa's scream had surprised Sienna, causing her aim to be off. She missed his heart and struck his shoulder. He snapped awake, roaring with pain, ripping the spear from his shoulder and right out of Sienna's hands.

Channa tried to stab Sienna with her swords, but the smallest Career was already off and running. She was extremely quick. "Hip!" Channa shrieked, knowing that he was the only one who could catch her.

The dark-haired boy, who had woken up confused, was instantly on his feet. He bolted after her, mace in hand. The two of them disappeared into the darkness.

Channa turned to Bridon, who was spitting out one curse word after another. Blood sprayed from his wound, coating his arm in a layer of red.

"Stay calm!" Channa said in a high-pitched voice, more for her own sake than his. She grabbed a sweatshirt and stuffed it onto his wound, but it became soaked within minutes. Bridon's blood was getting on her hands and she felt like hyperventilating. She grabbed another sweatshirt and pressed it on top of that one, hoping that the blood would stop flowing and clot.

"I'll kill her!" Bridon roared, "I'll kill her for betraying us so early in the Games! There are still plenty of tributes to kill; yet she goes and betrays us! WHY DID YOU PUT HER ON GUARD?" He demanded, rounding on Channa, his eyes ablaze with rage.

Channa felt terrified. He looked as if he wanted to snap her neck, but if that were the case, she wouldn't go down without a fight. "I didn't! Hip was supposed to be on guard!" She hissed, eyes flicking to where her sai rested on the ground.

"I never should have formed an alliance." He growled, glaring at his wound, "I never should have trusted that little troll…" Bridon was turning pale as he lost more and more blood. He sunk to the ground and sat there, looking frustrated.

"I wish we had wound-healing medicine. We'll just have to make do. Here..." Channa forced Bridon to lie on his side so that his injured shoulder was above his heart. She tried to tie the sweatshirt tightly around his wound. Luckily, it was no longer soaking through.

They sat in silence, waiting for Hip to come back. Channa moved towards Cole and sat down next to him. He still appeared to be sleeping, but she knew better. She had heard his cannon. Channa slipped her hand into his and held onto it tightly. She had to hold back tears at the sight of his peaceful face.

_You knew this was going to happen…if I had gone away with you, you'd still be alive._ She thought tearfully. Once again, she had to curse herself for caring. There was only one victor, anyways. So she swallowed her tears, held her head high, and told herself that Cole Miller's usefulness had come to an end.

A few minutes later, Hip came panting back into camp, looking disheveled. "I lost her. It's too dark to see properly. At least—"

In one smooth movement, Bridon lurched to his feet and lunged at Hip, arms outstretched. Before his hands could meet with the boy's throat, pain shot through his body, and he crashed to the ground instead. The sweatshirt had come untied, and his wound had begun leaking blood again. The sight of it only served to make him angrier. "This is all YOUR fault!" He spat at Hip, "You put her on guard!"

Hip just stood there, staring, while Channa cried out, "Bridon, what the heck? That's no reason to snap his neck!"

"It's the perfect reason to snap his neck!" Bridon struggled back to his feet, glowering at the pair from District 1.

"Do I get any say in this?" Hip asked, eyes wide.

"We're still apart of this alliance!" Channa declared heatedly, "And unless you're Sienna, you don't kill those in your alliance!"

"Like you killed Bassin?" Bridon growled, narrowing his eyes.

"Well you killed Stumpy!" Channa shrieked.

"WHO THE HELL IS STUMPY?" Bridon bellowed.

"Drake! You killed Drake!" Channa shouted, when she was able to recall his name.

"That doesn't matter! Those two weren't good enough for the alliance anyways!"

"Well you need us to survive! You're a fool to try to kill one of us!" She signaled to his open wound. Bridon sat down, snatching up the sweatshirt and pressing it back onto his wound. He looked as if he wanted to keep arguing; same with Channa. Hip looked highly entertained and probably would have been munching on popcorn if the Cornucopia had provided it.

But then a parachute came floating down in between them, as if it had been sent to quell their argument. Channa picked it up and opened it. "Well, what do you know?" She said dryly, "It's a medical kit. Now we can properly patch up your arm."

There was a note inside that read, "Get back in there" from his mentor. Bridon seemed calmer after the parachute arrived, but it might've been due to his blood loss. Channa fixed him up and they quietly forgave one another. Hip hovered a good distance away, still looking nervous that Bridon might spring at him.

"I was just mad…" Bridon said gruffly, "But there's no way Sienna is getting away with this. We'll hunt her down in the morning, as soon as the sun rises."

Channa felt doubtful that Bridon would be in any condition to do so, but she didn't say anything. Getting him worked up wouldn't be good for his health. Besides, she had to admit, she wanted Sienna dead too. For Cole.

"Come on," Hip called quietly, still keeping his distance, "We have to let them collect Cole. Let's move off."

Channa looked over at Cole one last time, lying there as if he were still asleep. She wondered what he was dreaming about. "Goodbye Cole." She whispered, "I'll miss you." Remorse filled her up inside as she moved away with the other two.

They watched the claw come down and lift Cole into the sky. Channa watched his blonde head until it had disappeared for good. "See you later, bro." Hip murmured. She turned to look at him, expecting to see regret, but Hip's face held no emotion. _He won't allow himself to make any attachments…_ Channa thought, feeling a twinge of annoyance, _He's smarter than I am then._

After Cole was taken away, they moved back towards the Cornucopia, wanting no more than to sleep and forget about their ordeal. They would face their problem of declined numbers in the morning.

Two of the sleeping bags were stained with blood. The three of them stopped and stared down at them.

"Well…looks like we each get our own sleeping bag now." Hip said dully.

* * *

That morning, Sienna was off on her own. She had no weapon, no supplies. But she had her wits about her. She was going to kill the tributes one by one. Oh yes—and she would save the Careers for last.

A malicious grin crossed her face. She would draw out their deaths, making them as painful as possible. Of course, it would be tough to draw out their deaths when all of them would be after her. If Bridon were dead by then, it would come down to her, Hip, and Channa. Maybe she could kill Hip, and give Channa the torturous death. _Or_ she could cut off their legs and torture them both. If Bridon were still alive by the end, she would save him for last.

But first: breakfast.

* * *

Mitch, camped out in a nearby building, saw Sienna on the go. He felt faintly surprised. _The Careers must have disbanded… _He thought to himself. He reached over to his radio and turned it down a notch. But then he felt it was too quiet and turned it up two notches. While he was busy adjusting it, another parachute floated through the window.

It struck him on the head, just like last time. He reached up and rubbed his head in surprise. _Again? _It was a decent-sized parachute. _Maybe it's a car! Oh wait cars aren't that small…_

He opened it and inside was a coconut. His insides froze up. His sponsors were trying to kill him. Then he remembered that it was just a silly dream and the sponsors didn't know how he felt about coconuts. The refreshing treat came with a nail he could stick into it to release the milk, plus a straw. There was also a note that read, "KEEP. THE VOLUME. DOWN." But he discarded that.

Mitch opened up the coconut, stuck in the straw, then kicked back to relax, humming along with his radio.

This was the life!

* * *

Chat, always on the go, had found a room filled with all sorts of food. It was on the second floor of a certain building, not even in a kitchen—just a random room. It was obvious that other tributes had come and gone, grabbing their share. Most likely loners, because they hadn't been able to take it all with them.

_This is the perfect place for a trap._ Chat thought smugly. She had managed to scrounge up some wires behind a refrigerator. Perhaps she could somehow booby trap the door so that a little something could happen to the tribute that entered…a little something that involved her knife.

Chat had booby-trapped a door many times before, and it was an extremely simple setup. For her first trap, she had been very young and filled a bucket with bits of paper, representing confetti, to shower upon her brother for his birthday. It was the only present she could afford to give him. So she had called him to come into the room, and waited eagerly for him to be pleasantly surprised. Instead, the bucket had promptly crashed down upon his head and knocked him out cold. Her aunt never let her hear the end of it.

But she continued to experiment with traps and figured out how to use string and other resources to her advantage. Eventually, she could set it up so that the opening of the door would trigger a projectile to come flying at the intruder's face. Usually, the projectile was the only stuffed animal she owned. This time, it would be a knife.

It was the perfect place for it, too. There was food, shelter, and an open window that she could climb out of if she had to leave for any reason. So Chat sat back and waited for her prey to appear.

* * *

To Hip's and Channa's surprise, Bridon didn't want to go hunting for Sienna in the morning. It was nauseatingly hot out, and he was in a good amount of pain, so Channa rewrapped the wound and provided him with more disinfectant.

"It would have been better of them to provide me with some of that expensive wound-closing medicine." Bridon growled.

_Maybe you're not worth it._ Channa shot back inwardly. _I'm way more likeable than you, and I haven't been sponsored anything so just shut it._

"I'm gonna go look for Sienna." Hip said, standing up and grabbing his mace, "Take care." He stalked off in the direction of the city. He didn't want to be sitting around doing nothing, and he _especially_ didn't want to be anywhere near Bridon after he had lunged at him.

Channa watched him go, knowing that she could handle herself if Bridon suddenly snapped. Besides, she was pretty sure he wouldn't. "Hip will kill Sienna for us." She said lightly, trying to make conversation.

"Or maybe she'll kill him." Bridon said coldly, "Either way, it doesn't really matter."

Channa had to swallow back a retort. Instead, she stood up and made her way to the fountain to cool off.

* * *

So far, Sienna had come across no weapons and no food. She had checked the amusement park for the hammer they had wielded during the crab game. Unfortunately, someone had removed it.

So she went to seek out shade in the building area, in the early afternoon. She picked one and ducked inside. It appeared to be uninhabited. Of course, the pantries were empty. _Wonderful._ Sienna hissed inwardly. Her stomach was growling incessantly. At least she was able to get a drink from a sink. The water was cool and quenched her parched throat. She splashed some onto her face too. The day was extremely hot and it felt nice.

_I just need to find food and I'll take a break._ Sienna thought, wiping sweat off her forehead.

She headed up some steps, wondering if she could find anything of use. She wandered for a little while, then came to a door that looked different from the others. She had a good feeling about this door. Perhaps the Gamemakers had made it look different for a reason.

She reached forward, turned the knob, and stepped inside.

Chat watched as her trap was triggered and the knife went flying towards the small Career, burying itself in her arm. Chat had aimed to kill with this trap, but the knife had missed its mark. The scariest part was that Sienna didn't even scream. She came barreling towards Chat, silent and deadly. She didn't even bother to remove the knife, which would have caused her to lose blood more quickly.

Chat turned to escape out the window, but she was too slow. Sienna plowed into her, aiming to fix her hands around the older girl's throat. Chat whipped around to meet the onslaught.

Then the two girls were on the floor, shrieking and writhing. Chat tore the knife out of Sienna's arm and blood gushed everywhere. She raised it, trying to stab at her adversary, but Sienna knocked it out of her hand and it skittered across the floor. Chat bolted after it, but Sienna threw herself on top of her, pinning her to the ground. She fixed her hands around the older tribute's throat and squeezed.

Chat may have been slightly taller than Sienna, but she wasn't nearly as strong, and the 12-year old was overpowering her. But Chat had a knack for fighting dirty. She shrieked and squirmed, gouging at Sienna's skin with her nails, kneeing her repeatedly in the stomach. But still, the Career held fast, shutting out the pain, wishing that Chat would just die already…

Finally, Chat fell still. Sienna gave a sigh of relief, and loosened her grip on the tribute, expecting to hear the sound of the cannon. Then, without warning, Chat twisted her head around and sunk her teeth into Sienna's wrist. The 12-year old jerked at the unexpected pain, releasing Chat, who darted forward and jabbed Sienna's eyes with her fingers.

Sienna howled in pain, her good hand flying to her face. Her eyes throbbed and her vision blurred, but she could make out Chat grabbing the knife and making a mad dash for the window. Sienna lunged after her. But she was too late.

Chat took a flying leap to safety, out of the second-story window. She landed on her feet, but they gave out from under her and she crashed to the ground. Sienna watched as she hurriedly clambered to her feet and limped away, as fast as she could go.

_Why that little…!_ Sienna rattled off all of the swear words she could, most of them having been learned from Bridon. Chat had done a lot of damage. Her arm was leaking blood that was running down her arm and pooling in her hand. Everything below her wound was numb—Chat had penetrated a nerve and caused her to lose feeling. Her skin was covered with shallow scrapes, from where the girl had dug her nails. And her eyes and stomach still stung from the blows they had received.

_I need to get out of here. I need help._ Sienna thought, quickly leaving the building and going to seek out the help she needed.

* * *

Chat was gasping with effort. She had sprained her ankle in that daring leap, but at least she had escaped with her life, and her weapon. The Careers were deadly, and recently disbanded, from the looks of it. Chat wondered if it had anything to do with the cannon she had heard last night.

_They're probably all out hunting…I have to hide…_ Chat thought desperately, trying to make her way back to her hideout in the sand, hoping that she wouldn't be discovered. But as she rounded the corner of a building, she ran right into a familiar face.

"Chat!" Hip exclaimed, looking surprised, "So good to see you again."

Chat skidded to a halt, narrowing her eyes at him. He was shining with sweat, which caused his tight black shirt to cling to him. In his right hand, he held his mace. He was obviously on the hunt for tributes, and had been for quite some time. She silently hoped that the blood-covered knife she was holding appeared intimidating to him. But he was Hip. He was never intimidated.

He looked her over, his eyes resting on her feet. She was standing with the injured ankle slightly raised, all of her weight concentrated on her other foot. "You hurt yourself?" Hip asked, lifting his eyebrows.

"What's it to _you_?" Chat hissed, her mind racing. She couldn't outrun him with her injured ankle. She couldn't overpower him. She was as good as dead. But she would give him scars to remember her by. She tensed every muscle in her body, waiting for him to wind up for a throw. She would dodge the mace and stab him with the bloodstained knife. Stab him right in his handsome face.

"I'm not gonna kill you," Hip said, looking relaxed. Chat, still suspicious, didn't lower the knife. "I'm looking for Sienna, the short girl with the black hair. You seen her?"

"You're not going to kill me?" Chat repeated, looking disbelieving. "Why not?"

Hip tilted his head to the side and gave her a lopsided smirk. "Because you were the only one that would dance with me at the ball. I think that deserves a free pass, don't you?" He chuckled.

"You're an idiot," Chat blurted out, "For letting me live."

Hip narrowed his eyes dangerously. "And you're an idiot for provoking a Career." He said lightly, "Now if you'll excuse me, I have work to do."

"Wait." Chat said firmly, "I saw her in that building. I stabbed her and jumped out the window. Maybe you can follow her blood trail." She pointed to the building in which she had run across the youngest Career.

"Why thank you, Chat." Hip said charmingly, sparing her a wink. Then he turned and sped off in that direction.

Chat had to keep from gagging. She had half a mind to chuck her knife at his retreating figure, but she decided against it. After all, if he was giving her a free pass, he deserved one too.

* * *

Tasi and Calista, who had been caring for Cara, froze when they heard someone enter their building. They heard a high-pitched sobbing that sounded like it belonged to a child.

"Stay here." Tasi murmured, moving in the direction of the intruder.

Calista ignored him, snatching up her knife and following him. He rolled his eyes, but allowed her to tag along. They moved with caution. Tasi peered around the corner.

"It's a little girl. I think she's injured." He whispered.

Calista wracked her brain, trying to figure out which tribute it could be. Then the girl turned and looked at them; they recognized her immediately. The jet-black hair, the snow-white skin tone, the icy blue eyes…they could only belong to Sienna, the littlest Career. Her eyes widened with fright at the sight of Tasi and Calista. She backed away, as if to flee…

"Please don't kill me." She choked out, terrified.

"Oh, God…" Calista breathed, at the sight of blood running down her arm. She was a mess.

"We're not going to kill you." Tasi said, setting his axe down and holding up his hands.

"Tasi, she's a Career." Calista said warily. _You hate Careers!_

"Just look at her, Calista." He said, motioning towards the injured child, "What happened to you?"

Sienna's eyes filled with tears. "The Careers betrayed me." She whimpered, "They said I wasn't strong enough, so they attacked me and chased me off last night."

"Did you kill anyone?" Calista asked sharply, "Whose death did the cannon signal?"

"I don't know!" Sienna wailed, "It woke us all up and I was scared. They called me weak and Bridon attacked me." She looked tearfully at her bloodied arm, "I managed to hit him with my spear, but he took it and I ran."

"You poor thing." Calista said, feeling it was the right thing to say, but she still felt suspicious. _If they stabbed you last night, why does your wound look so fresh?  
_

"Here, we'll fix you right up." Tasi offered.

_You are way too trusting…_Calista sighed inwardly, but she went along with it.

They cleaned out Sienna's wounds and bandaged her up. Cara was awake, but she was still weak and covered in red welts. Sienna went back over her story for her. Calista thought Cara didn't seem to trust the Career either. But if she thought so, she didn't say so. She just looked sympathetic and said how sorry she was that that happened to her.

When they were done, Sienna stared at her limp arm. "I can't move it." She whispered in terror, "They're all so horrible…I wish I could do something about it, b-but I'm just not strong enough. Just like they said." She buried her face in her good hand and started sobbing again.

"You know…we could try to take them on." Tasi said slowly.

Everyone looked at him in surprise.

"Really?" Calista and Cara said at the same time.

"We're evenly matched…sure, Bridon and Sienna are wounded, but if we attack during the night, we have the element of surprise on our side."

"I can't believe I'm hearing this." Cara looked mildly amused, "And here I thought you were incapable of killing…"

Tasi clenched his fists, and Calista could see his hidden rage boiling inside of him. "Yeah, well, given the things those Careers have done…I think they have it coming. Let's take a vote. I say we go."

Sienna looked at him gratefully. "Thank you." She said softly.

"I say no." Calista said.

"Wow, you guys are really surprising me tonight!" Cara exclaimed, "Calista, I thought your motto was 'leap before you think!'"

"It's a spur of the moment thing." She said sourly, "When I have time to think, I'm a lot more intelligent, I assure you…"

"Well I say yes!" Cara declared, "I'm sick of sitting around this place. It's time to take action!"

"Even with your injuries?" Calista voiced doubtfully.

"I'll be fine. It doesn't hurt as much as it did."

"Great." Sienna said curtly, "Does anyone have a weapon I can use?"

"Sorry, no." Calista said, narrowing her eyes. _And if we did, we sure wouldn't hand it over to you…_

"Well, I'll duck into the Cornucopia and grab one at some point." Sienna said with a shrug, "We left a lot of weapons on the dead bodies so they would be taken away, but there's still a few more to go around."

Everyone seemed excited that they had inside information on the Careers. Everyone except Calista. But she still went along with it. And so the four of them exited the building when dusk fell, heading for the park area. All of them carried weapons except for Sienna, of course. Calista could sense the little girl's cold eyes boring into the back of her head as she walked along. As if she knew that Calista didn't trust her.

They had nearly left the cover of the buildings when the anthem started and "The Fallen" appeared in the sky. The three tributes stopped and looked up, eager to see who had passed during the night. Sienna's eyes widened as she realized something. "Let's keep moving!" She hissed, but they ignored her.

Calista's insides froze when she saw Cole's soft blue eyes looking down at her. Cole. A Career. The two other tributes didn't seem to realize it quite yet, but Calista had pieced it together instantly.

"Hey Sienna…" She said slowly, turning to the young Career, "I thought you said you didn't know who the cannon belonged to last night..."

**RIP Cole, 12 down, 12 remain…**

**Uh-oh, Sienna screwed up. And yes, I'm too cheap of a sponsor to give Bridon the wound-closing medicine. **

**Y'know, I think it's time we had a disaster strike…**


	17. Ante Mortem

**Thanks everyone for reviewing! :) Remember, if you review a lot, you get a spot in the next one! If you don't…eh, it was nice knowing ya. I want people who review.**

Sienna threw herself at Calista, wrenching the knife from her hand. Calista screamed, reeling backwards, barely dodging being stabbed in the chest.

"Hey!" Tasi bellowed, coming at Sienna with his axe. The little girl flinched, but Calista knew he didn't have the gall to murder a 12-year old. Tasi hesitated and this seemed to dawn on Sienna. He became her new target. Here she came, a little girl wielding a knife in her only working hand, aiming to destroy a boy that was twice as large as her.

Calista wouldn't allow it.

She turned and tore the axe out of Tasi's hands. He blinked, stunned. Just as Sienna slashed the knife at them, Calista brought the axe down. The knife went flying through the air; so did Sienna's hand.

The screech that followed sent chills up Calista's spine. Cara and Tasi just stood there in shock. Calista swung the axe once more, burying it in Sienna's chest. The little girl collapsed, blood welling from her many wounds. She lay on the ground, twitching, eyes glaring up at the others.

"Calista…" Cara whispered, "What just happened…?"

"She's a traitor." Calista said between deep breaths. Her hands were shaking.

Sienna blinked up at the three faces above her helplessly. They were transforming before her eyes, becoming younger and recognizable. The shock of it caused her to flinch.

Anne-Marie. Sen. Brodie. Her siblings.

She could see them now. They were looking down at her. Laughing at her. Pleased that she had met the same fate as them. It filled every part of her with hatred. She had taken their lives, and now it was her turn to die.

_You were all weak. _Sienna wanted to say, but her throat was thick with blood. _You deserved it._

_No,_ They seemed to say, _we didn't deserve it. But you do._

Sienna's mind drifted back to a few years ago. The cool feel of the dagger in her hands as she sunk it into her brothers' flesh. And in training, when she had aimed that spear at her twin sister's heart, letting it fly…and her father had praised her for it. Telling her that they were weak, like her mother. They never could have won the Hunger Games. They were nothing.

_You were supposed to die so that I could be victorious! _The little girl shrieked inwardly. But her siblings just laughed and laughed, reveling in her pain. The same pain they felt when their own sister murdered them.

Sienna coughed violently. Blood spattered out of her mouth in clumps and ran down her chin. The three older tributes watched her, just willing her to die. She opened her mouth, stretching it wider and wider, as if she wanted to say something. The sound that emanated from the dying child chilled the tributes to the bone.

Sienna was laughing. It was a high-pitched gurgling sound, but it was unmistakable laughter. It went on for a full minute. Then finally, it faded. She wheezed a few times, and then fell silent. Her eyes became glazed and lifeless. It felt like an eternity before the cannon finally fired.

"Come on." Calista whispered, "Let's go back."

The three of them tore their eyes away from the bloodied corpse of the little Career and shuffled back to their home.

* * *

Hip could hear the sounds of a struggle and cautiously approached to see an alliance of three finishing off a tribute. The cannon sounded and the trio left the body, but Hip stayed concealed. He watched the hovercraft lower its claw. The body it pulled back up was covered with blood, but he could tell from the small size that it was Sienna.

_Whoa…_ He thought, wondering what on earth had happened to her in the events that had preceded this. _Well, might as well head back._ He returned to the Cornucopia without encountering any other tributes. Bridon was passed out on the ground. Channa was anxiously awaiting his return.

"Did you kill her?" She asked, wide-eyed with excitement.

"No. Some others did. There's another alliance of three, so we had better be careful." Hip said, and then nodded at Bridon, "How is he?"

"He says he's fine, but he hasn't been very active. I've been trying to keep the wound clean, but I'm afraid infection is going to set in…" She frowned.

"Enh. We'll worry about that tomorrow." Hip shrugged nonchalantly, "I'm all sweaty and Bridon's unconscious, so I'm gonna take a bath in our drinking water. Care to join me?" He wiggled his eyebrows up and down.

Channa rolled her eyes, yet couldn't help but smile. "That's disgusting. Just splash it on your body like the rest of us."

"Don't you want to see me take my clothes off?" Hip asked, sounding hurt.

"Go for it, but if Bridon wakes up, you're a dead man."

Hip decided not to chance it. While he was washing up, a tiny parachute floated down and landed in the grass. Hip and Channa exchanged a glance, wondering whom it was for. Channa snatched it up and opened it. Inside was a chocolate cupcake with white icing. The note read, 'For Channa,' to dispel any confusion as to whom it was for.

"Finally! Someone _does _care." Channa instantly bit into the cupcake, relishing its sweet taste. "This is the best thing I have ever eaten." She sighed, closing her eyes in bliss. After days of eating crap food, this cupcake was practically heaven sent. Hip looked on enviously.

A few minutes later, after Hip had finished washing up, yet another parachute floated down. "Great. This one must be for me." He declared, grabbing it out of the air greedily. He opened up to find that it contained a pink brush and a nail file. "It's for you." He sighed, passing it off to her.

Channa squealed with delight and spent the rest of the night returning her hair and nails to their former glory. Or, at least as close to former glory as they could get.

It was pretty late when Channa finally went to bed. Hip took first watch. Channa snuggled into a sleeping bag and closed her eyes, but she couldn't clear her mind. The exuberance she had felt at getting sponsors had faded and the day's events took its place. It felt so strange knowing that Sienna was dead. And Cole. In one day, they had lost both of them.

Bridon kept moaning softly under his breath. That wasn't a good sign. Channa tried to block him out, but it was no use. Sleep seemed impossible at this point. So she crawled out of her sleeping bag and went to join Hip on watch. "I can't sleep." She said, settling down next to him.

He glanced over at her. "No Cole to hold your hand while you sleep?"

Channa gaped at him in surprise. "How dare you!" She cried out, "That was extremely insensitive!"

"Yeah, it was, wasn't it?" Hip said, but he didn't look sorry at all.

"You need a serious attitude adjustment." Channa growled, crossing her arms.

Hip lifted his eyebrows, but said nothing.

"I thought you were friends with Cole." She went on, "But I guess I was wrong. Don't you care about anyone but yourself?"

Hip pretended to think about it for a few seconds. "Well…I do have a cat…"

Channa huffed angrily, "Seriously? I meant people! I mean, you must have a girlfriend, right? Heck, you probably have a dozen girlfriends, knowing you!"

Hip smiled, highly entertained. "No. Just one."

"Oh. Well that's good, I thought—"

"But I dumped her the day of the Reaping so that I could pick up a hot Capitol chick."

"You're awful!" Channa fumed.

Hip narrowed his eyes. "_I'm_ awful? You may be right, sweetie, but don't forget that you and I are cut from the same cloth. You're just as bad as me."

"Wh-What makes you say that?" Channa stammered.

"Oh, come _on_. Cole was your little lost puppy dog and you were leading him on this entire time. Although I'm sure you cared for him to some extent, you were still bewitching him with your good looks and charm so that he'd follow your every whim. But hey, I'm not saying that's a bad thing. I do it all the time." Hip grinned.

Channa glowered at him. "I should have let Bridon strangle you." She hissed, getting up to leave.

"But the point is…you didn't." Hip's eyes shone triumphantly, as if he had just won some sort of prize.

Channa gave a loud huff and stomped away from him. She slipped back into her sleeping bag and lay there, steaming in her anger for a long time.

At some point, she fell asleep.

* * *

Julia snapped awake. She thought she had felt the ground shift beneath her along with a deep rumbling sound. But she quickly passed it off as the falling feeling that comes with certain dreams. She turned to look at her snoozing ally, who had dozed off during his watch.

"Good morning Frederick!" Julia greeted cheerfully.

"Hey." Frederick said, rubbing his eyes sleepily and sitting up. "What's for breakfast?"

"You'll have to go fishing. We're all out of food." Julia told him, her stomach growling in agreement.

"…Give me a few minutes." Frederick yawned. He proceeded to sit there, doing absolutely nothing. He was usually pretty slow to rise.

"I'll go see if I can find anything." Julia told him, leaving the shade of the pier to search for food.

"Okay. Be there in a little bit." Frederick answered groggily.

As soon as Julia was out on the open beach, she could tell something had changed. The ocean had receded dramatically. The water was now a good distance past the sandbar, frothing bubbles appearing on its surface. Wet sand, once submerged, was covered with gasping, flopping fish. With a cry of delight, Julia went running out to gather them. It was as if the Gamemakers had taken pity on her hatred of the ocean and were now rewarding her. She filled her arms with fish, relishing the idea of surprising Frederick with her catch. The look on his face would surely be priceless.

Suddenly, a mass of shrieking seagulls came flying towards the shore. She dropped to the ground, thinking it was an attack, but they passed over her. Their numbers were immeasurable. They were like a white cloud, retreating from the waters.

Julia turned, watching them go. It was then that she spotted Frederick racing towards her, as fast as his leg would allow him to go, waving his arms. His face was a mask of pure terror. He was screaming something. Julia dropped the fish she was holding and ran to meet him.

"What's wrong? What's wrong?" She demanded.

It was hard to understand him through his ragged panting. "Run…get out of here!" He managed to say.

"Why? What's happening?" Julia cried shrilly. The earth began to shake violently beneath them, and she was bowled off of her feet.

Frederick pulled her back up and gave her a rough shove towards the city. "This is the number one sign that a tidal wave is coming. We have to get out of here!" He shouted, stumbling through the sand.

"How much time do we have?" Julia choked out, fear beginning to set in.

"Less than a minute."

She was off like a bullet. The thought of water, towering over her, crashing down on her, was the most terrifying thing she could think of. She sprinted, never taking her eyes off the building that loomed in front of her. Julia knew going in there was foolish, but she didn't care. She just had to escape the ocean.

The shifting ground caused her to trip a few times. She smashed her face into the pavement more than once. But she was instantly back on her feet and running again, immune to pain.

Just before she reached the door of her building, she remembered Frederick, and allowed herself to look back. He had only covered half the distance to the building. He was limping heavily, trying desperately to reach her. Then she saw the wave, towering over him, more than fifty feet high.

In that moment of pure terror, Julia shot inside the building and slammed the door behind her. She instantly located the staircase and raced up countless steps, her heart pounding wildly. There was an enormous crashing sound and the whole building shook at the wave smashed into it.

Julia slipped on the steps and blacked out.

* * *

"Wake up! Wake up!" Cara was shrieking, shaking the other two tributes wildly. What had started as a small rumbling had turned into a full-blown earthquake. Tasi and Calista awoke, wide-eyed and alert. There was a long, drawn-out creaking sound. The building was trembling furiously.

"It's gonna come down, come on, we have to get out of here…!" Cara's voice was shaking as she tried to gather up their packs. Frightened tears ran down her face. Each movement caused her pain, but she worked through it.

"Let's go!" Calista shrieked. Cara and Tasi looked like they were running in slow motion. She tried her best to help Cara along, half-dragging her towards the exit. The building groaned loudly. Something hit the ground, missing them by inches. The ceiling was starting to cave in.

"Come on!" Calista screamed. She could see the door. She glanced back. She couldn't see Tasi; he had fallen behind. "You keep going, I have to help Tasi!" Calista shouted over the rumbling.

Cara nodded and continued on by herself. Calista ran back as more debris crashed to the ground around her, sending up dust. She coughed as it filled her lungs and caused her eyes to stream. Then, through the thick of it, she spotted a familiar dark ponytail.

"Tasi!" She tried to call to him, but nothing came out. He was pinned to the ground by his bad leg, struggling desperately to get away. Calista shot forward to help him. With some effort, they both managed to lift the debris off of him.

"Thank you…" Tasi croaked.

"Don't thank me yet." She grabbed his hand and began to run with him for the exit. He struggled to keep up, dragging his useless leg behind him. They had nearly made it out when something struck the back of Calista's head and she pitched forward. Her vision blurred as she crashed to the ground. Her mind filled with confusion as she tried to tell herself to get back up, but her body wouldn't obey.

Then strong arms were lifting her up from the ground, carrying her to safety. There was a sickening crashing sound as the rest of the building collapsed and Calista felt herself flying through the air. She landed painfully on the ground and lay there, stunned. Tasi had time to reach into his pocket before the building came down on him.

"Calista!"

Cara's voice sounded muffled.

"Calista, where's Tasi?"

"Tasi…?" Calista repeated, trying to make sense of the word. Something cool was washing over her. But what was water doing in the city? Nothing seemed right.

"Calista!" Cara was shaking her furiously. Or maybe that was the earthquake…

But then, as if waking from a dream, Calista snapped back into reality. The earthquake! Tasi had thrown her from his arms and saved her life. But now…

"Tasi!" Calista shrieked, "TASI!" She threw herself at the rubble; all that remained of what had served as their home for the past few days.

"Calista, it's no use." Cara said tearfully.

But Calista ignored her, scraping away at the debris. Cara began to sob quietly from behind her, but she kept on going. Tasi needed her now. She kept digging through it until her hands bled with the effort. Hours seemed to pass, when in reality, it was only minutes. Finally, she uncovered him.

His face was streaked with blood. Wreckage pinned him to the ground and Calista couldn't free the rest of his body, but it didn't matter. His bones were broken beyond repair. "Tasi…" She whispered, reaching out to touch his face. To her surprise, his eyes twitched open. He stared at Calista and recognition slowly flooded his face. He opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out. Just a trickle of blood.

"Tasi…" Calista choked out tearfully. She wanted to tell him that everything would be okay. But it was obvious that wasn't true.

Tasi's right arm twitched, as if he were trying to lift it. Calista could see that he had a small piece of paper in his hand. She reached down and took it from him, gently. It was a picture of his dog. Hope.

Calista's eyes filled with tears.

Tasi's lips were moving as he tried to form words. Calista leaned in close. "I'll take care of her, Tasi." She sobbed, tears running down her dirtied face, "I'll win for you. And I'll go back to District 7 and look after Hope. I'll make sure she's loved until the day she dies. Until she can be with you again, in heaven."

But Tasi was no longer listening. His eyes were unfocused and his body was still. A cannon fired in the distance.

Calista held his face in her hands and pressed her lips to his forehead. Then she stood up, hastily wiping the tears from her eyes. "Come on," She said shakily, nodding to Cara, "Let's get going. We have to find a new place to stay."

Cara was wide-eyed with sorrow. "What did he say to you?" She asked quietly.

Calista shook her head. "I don't know. I couldn't hear him."

It was true. He had been trying to form a particular word, but his lungs were crushed inside of his broken body. He hadn't been able to produce a single sound. But Calista knew what he was saying. There was only one word a dying tribute would speak to another, when on their deathbed.

_Win._

**RIP Sienna and Tasi. We're down to the final 10.  
**


	18. Orange Colored Sky

**Past 60 reviews with 5 more chapters to go after this one! I bet we can make it back up to a hundred. Also, need less than ten tributes for the next Games! Anyone who hasn't submitted one still wanna do it? If so, PM me. But remember ya gotta review! :P I think I might put up the first chapter of the 43rd at the end of this week to try and rope some new people in.  
**

**Sometimes I really wish I could turn my stories into a movie or an anime or something like that. Some scenes just work better in movies, the scene that involves Mitch here being one of them. I'm not usually one to insert lyrics into a story, but it was just too perfect not to. If you want to hear the song that Mitch is listening to (or even play it along as your reading, if you're that hardcore), just search Youtube for "Orange-Colored Sky" and make sure it's sung by Natalie Cole because her version is the best.**

Julia awoke, lying at the bottom of a staircase. Her head was pounding unbearably and dried blood coated her face. She lay there for a long while, events from this morning slowly piecing themselves together. The image of the tidal wave towering over Frederick was clear in her mind.

"Frederick…" She tried to call out for him, but it emerged as a hoarse whisper. "Frederick…?" She tried again, more successful this time. Her voice echoed emptily throughout the building.

Could he have not escaped the wave?

She didn't even want to consider that. She hadn't heard a cannon. He could still be out there somewhere. So she shakily headed back down the steps. She was surprised to find that a whole side of the building had been destroyed; the side facing the ocean. It was a good thing she had been towards the back.

She turned to observe the rest of the city, but her heart fell when she realized that it was no longer there. Only a few buildings stood among the rubble of the ruined city. The earthquake had just about destroyed the arena. The ocean had risen dramatically and was slapping continuously at the boardwalk. There was no longer a beach.

"Frederick?" Julia whispered, not daring to call for him any louder. The destroyed arena would make it easier to find him, but it also meant that it would be easier for her to be spotted. She would have to be careful.

* * *

"That. Was. Awesome." Hip breathed.

From the safety of their hill, the Careers had watched most of the city collapse. A huge wave had also risen up, crashing into the buildings along the shore. Yet, their safe haven was untouched.

"I hope that took out a lot of tributes." Bridon said weakly, from his sleeping bag.

"I heard the cannon once, at the end." Channa said, "I couldn't hear during the earthquake, though. Maybe more than one person died."

"We can only hope." Was Bridon's response.

* * *

Julia searched long and hard, to no avail. The whole time, she whispered his name. She hoped desperately that he would appear, chastising her for having gotten herself into another situation in which he had to bail her out. But of course, no such thing happened. She held back tears, promising herself that she would find him. It was a big arena, and he could be anywhere.

The last place she checked was the amusement park. Stands and smaller games were gone. The Ferris wheel was tilting heavily to one side, and no longer running. The carousel had also been partially destroyed. Only the House of Mirrors remained untouched.

Julia found herself heading towards the carousel. She could hear something…a low, continuous pounding. She approached cautiously. It didn't take long to find out what it was. The carousel was trying to run, but nothing was working. Only the bass drum within the music box still worked. It kept pounding on relentlessly—it sounded like a funeral march.

Chilled to the bone, Julia circled the ride. Many of the horses had been torn out or damaged beyond recognition, which was strange. One horse could be completely torn to shreds while its partner stood next to it, unharmed. Julia observed which ones hadn't managed to make it out unscathed. Caden. Carson. Even Sienna, the Career who had died last night.

…All of the dead tributes' horses had been disposed of.

The thought struck her like lightning. She hurried to Frederick's horse. His was gone. Her heart fell. No, it couldn't be. This didn't mean anything at all. It was just a parade of stupid horses.

Willing her mind to forget what she had seen, she left the amusement park and continued her desperate search for her ally.

Finally, night fell, and the fallen appeared in the sky.

Sienna's face came first. Her cold eyes glared down accusingly. But then, her image was replaced by Frederick's.

Julia's legs gave out from under her and she fell to the ground, letting the tears come freely now. She could barely make out the last face through them. For a long time, she sat on the ground, clutching her knees, rocking slowly back and forth. She knew she should have prepared herself for this. But it hurt, nonetheless.

"You said the ocean was safe." Julia whispered, gazing up at the stars, "You promised everything would be okay. But you were wrong."

* * *

The next day, everyone tried their best to recover from the disasters. It was another sweltering day, but the tributes avoided the buildings, paranoid that they would come crashing down around them.

The Careers were staying by the Cornucopia. Bridon's condition had worsened dramatically. Infection and fever had set in. He was constantly groaning in pain and sweating. Sienna had cut him deep, and it was showing. Pus oozed from his wound, and no matter how many times Channa tried to clean it, there always seemed to be more.

It was worse when Bridon awoke. He seemed convinced that the other two were trying to kill him, but Channa always managed to calm him down. Hip stayed as far away as possible, avoiding Bridon's wrath in case the older boy decided that there was strangling to be done. Hip would constantly ask, "How is he doing?" to which Channa responded, "He's getting worse."

Bridon didn't seem long for this world.

Not far from the Careers, Chat was back to hiding out in the forest. She had been lucky, deciding to leave her cave in the early morning in order to set up a new trap in the forest. She had managed to come away unscathed from the disaster that had befallen them yesterday. Still, her ankle slowed her down a great deal.

After spending the night in a tree, Chat had headed back to her sand cave, only to find that it no longer existed. _That's a shame._ She thought, observing the submerged beach, _Good thing I carried my backpack with me._ She hadn't lost any of her goods.

Best of all, she had finally managed to figure out what the strange, cone-shaped object was. It was a water purifier. She only needed to fill it with salt water and the cone would work its magic, using evaporation and all that good stuff to separate the salt from the water. Chat didn't really understand it—she had never paid attention in school. But it didn't matter. She had access to all the fresh water she wanted!

Which couldn't be said for all of the other tributes. They soon discovered that the sinks in the remaining buildings were no longer working.

Abbadon found this extremely frustrating. He only had what was left in his canister, and it wouldn't last him past tomorrow, even if he rationed it. Slowly, he realized that the only remaining water source was the fountain, which was currently in the possession of the Careers.

_Looks like I'll be paying them a visit here soon…_ He thought to himself, smirking.

Julia, meanwhile, could not stop crying. She would try to push Frederick from her mind, and focus on surviving, but he would always manage to force his way back in. He was the straw that broke the camel's back. All of these deaths had been piling up over the past week, and he was the cherry on top.

While wandering, Julia had caught sight of Cara and Calista, but she didn't go near them. She didn't want to join a new alliance. That would only bring more pain.

Last of all, Mitch was off walking aimlessly along his own path. It was amazing that he had made it this far. It was as if he were guided by some mystical force, the power of his spaciness, which led his feet down the safest path possible. He had gone in and out of buildings and always managed to find food. He barely ever ran into any other tributes, and if he did, they posed no threat.

Now he was walking along the boardwalk, in the direction of a patch of untouched buildings. The sun was setting and he was listening to his radio. It brought him comfort in these dire times.

"_Up next is one of my favorites—it's another oldie. It's called "Orange-Colored Sky," sung by Natalie Cole." _The radio broadcaster said in a smooth voice.

Mitch gave a cry of delight and wriggled with glee. This was one of his favorite songs. Relishing every note, he began to hum along with the muted trumpets. Then the sweet voice of Natalie began…

_I was walking along, minding my business,  
When out of the orange-colored sky:  
Flash! Bam! Alakazam! Wonderful you came by…_

_I was humming a tune, drinking in sunshine,  
When out of that orange-colored view:  
Wham! Bam! Alakazam! I got a look at you…_

Mitch paused to admire the sky. This was the perfect song for the moment. The sky was ablaze with all sorts of colors—pink, purple, and best of all, orange. He had never seen such a beautiful sunset.

_One look and I yelled 'timber!'  
Watch out for flying glass.  
'Cause the ceiling fell in and the bottom fell out  
I went into a spin and I started to shout  
I've been hit! This is it! This is—_

Click.

Mitch turned off the radio. He could have sworn he heard something just now. He stopped walking and slowly glanced behind him, but nothing was there. He shrugged and continued on his way, turning the radio back on.

_-Bam! Alakazam!  
Out of the orange-colored sky!_

Now the bridge began, a chorus of trumpets, saxophones, and trombones. Mitch was really rocking out to it now. He stepped to the beat, bobbing up and down and swinging his arms as he went. He danced himself right into the shade that fell between two buildings; somewhere he would be safe from prying eyes, free to jam out as he pleased. Only the seagulls were witness to his moment of bliss.

Then the singing started up again.

Mitch went all out, leaping through the air, twisting and turning. He mouthed the lyrics as they went, and closed his eyes, completely losing himself in the music.

_Well, one look and I yelled 'timber!'  
Watch out for flying glass  
_'_Cause the ceiling fell in and the bottom fell out  
I went into a spin and I started to shout  
I've been hit! This is it! This is it!_

Just as the trumpets hit their crescendo, something came crashing down on top of Mitch. Pain shot through ever nerve in his body and he fell to the ground, paralyzed.

Chat was creeping along the other side of the building when her ears picked up a strange sound. It sounded like music. She strained her ears listening, moving carefully. It was right around the corner. She could just barely make out the lyrics…

_...Walking along, minding my business,  
When love came and hit me in the eye:  
Flash! Bam! Alakazam!_

Chat peeked around the corner and what she saw nearly made her throw up. The Spider-Man, which she had assumed to be dead, was on top of a tribute. With a horrible sucking sound, it was slowly drawing the tribute inside of its body to be digested. Through a tangle of blue tentacles, Chat could make out Mitch's face, frozen in an expression of shock.

_Out of the orange-colored, purple stripes,  
Pretty green polka-dot sky:  
Flash! Bam! Alakazam!  
Went the skyyy!_

Chat turned and ran, the final tune of the fading radio's song still echoing in her head, along with the sounds of Mitch's unsightly demise.

**RIP Frederick and Mitch. We're down to the final 8.**

**Alternate songs for Mitch's death include 'Baby' by Justin Bieber and Jellyfish Jam from Spongebob.**

…**Just kidding.**


	19. Aftershock

**I finished the story! Except for the last chapter, which I can't write until I ask the creator of the victor how he/she would react to winning. Definitely putting up the new story today. It really filled up quickly, and I've been receiving a lot of requests these past few days for characters, but I'm gonna put it up anyways. If your character's not on there, don't flip. I just wanna get this thing up, I'll go through all the profiles and pick the remaining spots later.  
**

**And sorry, I know you guys were interested to see the family interviews, but I wanna stick to the Games. I'm ready for them to be over. XD  
**

**One last thing! The winners of the favorite character poll…Hip and Sienna tied for first! I'm sure if Hip existed, he would be very happy. Sienna probably wouldn't be too impressed. Second place was a tie between Channa, Jack, Frederick, Caden, and Julia. Third place was a tie between Cole, Mitch, Chat, Tasi, and Abbadon. The rest either got one or none.  
**

_Boom._

Mitch's face appeared in the sky less than an hour after his death.

Chat huddled up in a tree, shivering at the memory of it. Poor Mitch. No one deserved that kind of fate, especially him. Hopefully, the Gamemakers wouldn't kill _two _tributes in the same, gruesome manner. If they did, they were all doomed. The Spider-Man could swim and scale buildings. There was no escaping it.

The young girl quickly pushed the thought from her mind and counted in her head the contestants that remained.

Three from the Career alliance. The girls from Districts 7 and 9. That creep, Abbadon. The girl from District 11. And of course, herself.

8 tributes left.

_They'll be conducting the interviews back home. _Chat noted, _I wonder what they'll ask Trail…_

* * *

Late at night, an aftershock occurred. It sounded like an explosion. A fissure opened up right in the middle of the city, taking down all but one of the remaining buildings. Lava spewed from the ground, rising up in plumes. It woke up every single contestant.

Bridon let loose a stream of profanity that would no doubt be censored if the Hunger Games had a PG rating. Hip and Channa just watched, captivated by the red-hot glow of the magma. Calista and Cara were in the forest area along with Chat, grateful that they had not decided to re-enter the buildings. Abbadon was safe in his House of Mirrors, but stepped outside to see the commotion. Luckily, he did not catch sight of Julia, who was hiding out near the Ferris wheel.

The eruption ended as quickly as it had begun, but lava stilled leaked out of the fissure, lighting up the ruined city. It was unsettling, but most of the tributes managed to get back to sleep that night.

* * *

The next day was rather uneventful; tributes were too focused on surviving to hunt one another down. Even the Careers were sticking close to their camp and their dwindling supplies.

Calista and Cara were low on food, but had a few bottles of water to last them. They decided to scope out the remaining building and see what it had to offer. In there, they discovered a room filled with all sorts of food. It was the same one that Chat had booby-trapped, earlier in the Games.

But the food supply had become infested with rats, which hissed at the sight of humans, their greedy little eyes shining with malice. Calista and Cara backed off, knowing that these rats could swarm and eat them alive, if the Gamemakers willed them to.

So they went back into the forest, prepared to try their hand at hunting squirrels.

Chat was there too. She knew of the other two's presence, but she didn't want to confront both of them, so she kept hidden. She was doing all right with water, but out of food. She caught a rabbit with a simple snare, but had no means to cook it, so she headed for the lava that was sluggishly spreading over the city.

She went as close as she dared and held the rabbit up on a stick. For a long time, she did her best to roast it, but the outer edges of the lava were cooling off and didn't seem to have much effect. Giving in to hunger, she bit into the animal's flesh. Raw juices filled her mouth and she had to keep from gagging. But she was starving and forced herself to swallow.

Not long after, she threw it back up, along with a good amount of precious water. She felt miserable and limped back towards the boardwalk, where her sand cave had been. There, she curled up and closed her eyes, trying to shut out her aching belly. Eventually, she fell into a dreamless sleep.

Both Julia and Abbadon, who needed water more than anything, were scoping out the Careers' camp from afar. Both were planning to head in with their canisters and steal some. But both had decided to put it off until tomorrow, unbeknownst to the other.

Abbadon was headed back to his hideout when he came across a strange sight. Seagulls were flocking together, lining the boardwalk and filling the few trees that were left. But they were completely silent, staring at him with beady eyes. Abbadon glared at them, knowing trouble when he saw it. But he moved cautiously, slowly treading towards the House of Mirrors.

He was nearly to the entrance when the seagulls exploded into action. They flapped their wings and cawed hysterically, dive-bombing him, raking him with their talons and beaks. Abbadon flailed his arms wildly, running straight to the House of Mirrors. He made it inside, but a few seagulls pursued him.

He quickly disposed of them, stomping them into the ground and wringing their necks. Then he sat down, panting, waiting for the rest of them to follow. But outside, it had fallen silent. Abbadon pulled out his canister and took a swig of his precious water. There were only a few mouthfuls left.

Mutts or not, Abbadon was going to have to leave his safe haven tomorrow. And then he would have to face something even more dangerous than seagulls—Careers.

* * *

No faces were shown in the sky that night.

The next morning, Chat was limping heavily down the boardwalk, water cone in hand. She needed to refill it with saltwater so that it could turn to freshwater. It was a harrowing process, but it would be worth it.

Without food, Chat had been drinking plenty of water, to try and keep her stomach filled. But she was weakening. It didn't help that her ankle was swollen and constantly shooting pain through her leg with each step she took. Chat filled the cone with water, and then sat there for a long while, trying to gather strength to stand back up. She was highly aware of someone watching her and turned to see a seagull standing a few feet away, cocking its head.

The two stared at each other for a long while. Chat was actually feeling glad for its company. Then another seagull appeared, and another. They seemed to materialize out of nowhere, and came to join this one. All of them were staring at her intently.

A little bit creeped out, Chat forced herself to her feet and began to walk away from them. Perhaps she could find food somewhere along the boardwalk.

An overturned food stand caught her eye. It was lying on its side, probably washed there by the tidal wave. She approached it, trying not to get her hopes up. The sign read, "President Snow Cones" and had a picture of President Snow's face on a paper cone. He was looking very unexcited. Chat peered inside the freezer that should have contained the snow cones, but of course, there was nothing.

She suddenly felt like crying, but she was too tired to do so. Besides, you never knew when the cameras were focused on you. So she forced her feet to continue down the boardwalk, searching hopelessly for food.

* * *

Abbadon hadn't spotted a single seagull on his way to the park that morning.

He was now hiding in some bushes at the base of the grassy hill, observing the Careers. The biggest one, Bridon, was wrapped up in a sleeping bag. Abbadon briefly wondered if he was injured, or just resting. The other two were awake. The girl was brushing her hair and complaining about something in a loud voice, while the other guy was helping himself to a late breakfast.

The fountain was a little ways back from the Cornucopia. Perhaps, if he approached from the right angle, they would not see him at all. Then he could steal away with the water without a fight.

_Here we go…_ Abbadon thought, tensing every muscle in his body to run.

Suddenly, a shape appeared from the other side of the hill, where he had been aiming to go. It was the girl with the auburn ponytail—Julia. She sprinted towards the fountain, keeping low to the ground. Abbadon waited for the Careers to notice her, but they didn't. She made it to the fountain without being spotted.

And there she crouched, filling her canteen with its cold, refreshing water. Just as she finished up, and was putting a lid on it, a loud shout filled the air.

Hip was on his feet, mace in hand, looking directly at Julia.

Julia turned and shot away, racing over the grass towards the destroyed city. Hip looked at Channa, "Come on! She's not getting away twice!" Then he rocketed after her.

"Bridon, you guard the camp!" Channa said quickly, grabbing her sai and following her district partner.

Abbadon watched Bridon shakily remove himself from the sleeping bag and grab a spear. It was obvious now. He was injured.

Abbadon smirked. _Now's my chance…!_

* * *

Julia glanced back, terrified to see that two Careers were chasing her. There would be no Frederick to protect her this time. It was run, or die trying to fight them. And she chose to run.

"Hip!" Channa gasped, trying to keep up, "Wait up!"

He was a good distance ahead, but to her surprise, he slowed down enough for her to catch up. "Come on," He panted, "We can't lose her."

Julia kept looking back to see how close Hip and Channa were. It appeared that they weren't gaining any ground. Perhaps they were just trying to wear her out before closing in. It would be much tougher to lose them and find a hiding spot now that the city had been destroyed.

Julia skidded to a sudden halt. Hot, molten magma was seeping towards her, spreading far to her left and right. She could feel the heat of it form beads of sweat on her face. Without stopping to think, she darted right and ran alongside the lava. She gave it a wide berth, and found herself making a big circle around the city, in the direction of the amusement park.

She was beginning to tire. Her muscles burned with effort and her lungs felt as if they were going to burst. Hysteria was starting to set in. She cursed herself for not running for the woods, where she could scurry up the trees with ease, having much practice from the orchards in District 11.

_I'll just have to make do…_ Julia thought, her eyes falling to the looming Ferris wheel. It was tilting to the side quite dramatically. But it was her only chance.

She threw herself at the base of the giant wheel, grasping at the steel framework. Adrenaline pumped through her, making it easier to climb the crisscrossing beams than she would have initially thought. She just kept scaling the wheel as fast as she could go, blind to everything else.

Finally, she heard a powerful voice that brought her back to her senses. "Hey Julia!"

Julia froze and looked down. Her vision shifted for a brief moment and she felt as if she were going to fall. She had to be almost a hundred feet up, yet she hadn't even made it halfway up the wheel. Hip and Channa were standing directly beneath her, glaring up at her. Hip had been the one to call her name. Julia's heart pounded furiously. She wasn't sure if it was because her life was in danger or because Hip knew her name.

"Don't you think you're taking playing hard to get a little bit too far?" Hip shouted up at her.

Julia swallowed nervously. She clung to the wheel with all her might, trying to keep herself from shaking. "Why don't you come up and get me?" She yelled back down, surprised to hear how confident she sounded.

Hip narrowed his eyes.

"You're not seriously going to climb this, are you?" Channa hissed, glowering at the tribute that was far out of their reach.

"I'm tempted to, but no. I can't climb to save my life." Hip answered quietly.

Julia, starting to feel more and more at ease, reached into her pack and pulled out her canister. She dangled it high above their heads, grinning down at them. "Thanks for the water, by the way!" She shook it up and down, listening to the satisfying sloshing it made. "I'll make sure to think of you when I drink it later." She winked at Hip.

"She's really pushing it." Hip growled, "Here, hold my mace."

He stepped forward and began to climb up after her. Julia saw him coming and scrambled to stuff her water back into her pack. She smiled and began to climb higher. There was no way Hip would catch her. After scaling another ten feet, she looked down to see Hip carefully picking his way towards her. He was barely five feet off the ground, struggling to get a good hold on the steel beams.

"Hey!" Julia shouted down.

Hip peered up at her, looking frustrated.

"Why don't you—"

Suddenly, her foot slipped out from under her. Her eyes widened in surprise. For a moment, the world seemed to freeze. The steel beams slipped out of her grasp and she could feel herself falling backwards. The Ferris wheel was rising up around her, growing taller and taller. The thought that she was falling to her doom registered faintly in her mind, in the few seconds she had left.

But she felt no fear.

Channa shrieked and leaped backwards as Julia hit the ground with a sickening thud. She lay sprawled on the boardwalk, unmoving, her eyes glassy. Channa just stared, paralyzed, feeling sickened at what had just occurred. Hip hopped down to stand next to her just as Julia's cannon sounded.

"That's a shame." Hip said, nudging her cheek with his foot. Her head flopped uselessly to the side. It was obvious her neck was broken. "Well, shall we head back?"

Channa nodded. "Bridon will be pleased to know that's one less tribute."

They took their time getting back to the Cornucopia, only stopping to see Julia lifted into the hovercraft. "That's seven tributes left." Hip noted, "When do you think we'll have to head our separate ways?"

The question caught Channa by surprise. She hadn't realized they were down to so few. "I don't know…" She said faintly. Weren't most Career packs disbanded by this time in the Games? She couldn't remember. It was different every year.

"Do you hear that?" Hip froze, suddenly alert.

Channa strained her ears. It sounded like a scuffle was coming from the Cornucopia. Angry shouts filled the air. Channa recognized the voice—Bridon. Instantly, the two of them sprang into action, sprinting back to their camp. Bridon's voice grew louder and louder as they approached. Finally, he came into view.

The dying boy confined to a sleeping bag was gone. In his place was a warrior, roaring with fury. He was facing off with Abbadon; the tribute was on the ground while Bridon pelted him with a barrage of punches. Both were covered in wounds and bruises. The battle had been raging for quite a while.

"Bridon!" Channa shouted, going in to help him.

Hip grabbed her hand and held her back. "No." He said firmly.

Channa rounded on him. "What? Hip—"

She was about to let him have it, but the look on his face said everything. He knew he was no match for Bridon. He needed someone to kill the stronger Career for him. And Abbadon was just the one to do that.

Hip watched the raging battle with narrowed eyes. Abbadon had risen to his feet, had grabbed Bridon's injured arm and was now twisting it painfully. Bridon punched Abbadon forcefully, and his nose gushed blood. But he refused to let go, twisting Bridon's arm until there was a sickening crunching sound. The Career roared with pain. With superior strength, he flung Abbadon off of him and made a dive for his discarded spear, reaching for it with his good arm. But Abbadon threw himself down, pinning Bridon to the ground and catching his head between his hands. The spear snapped in half underneath their combined weight.

Abbadon's muscles strained as he tried to snap the Career's neck. Bridon struggled to free himself, but the exertion was too much. His strength was gone. It had been a valiant effort, but he was weak from infection and couldn't keep up the fight any longer. Just as Abbadon wretched his head to the side, he caught sight of Hip and Channa standing a good distance away, just watching. His eyes burned with hatred.

_Snap._

As soon as the cannon fired, Hip was racing towards Abbadon with Channa at his side. The older boy was struggling to his feet when he spotted the last two Careers coming towards him. He was an absolute mess, with his lip and his nose leaking blood. Both of his eyes were blackened and his body was covered with bruises. But he was off like a shot, canister in hand.

Hip and Channa watched him go.

"I think…" Hip said slowly, "We're gonna have to plan a surprise attack on him, or at least catch him at a bad time. He's quite the competitor."

Channa had turned her attention to Bridon. His face was frozen in a snarl. He had died as he lived—fighting and dangerous. Channa didn't feel the same regret as she did with Cole's death, but it was still a tragedy. She wondered what kind of person Bridon would have been if the Games hadn't desensitized him and stolen away his emotions.

But now, they would never know.

**RIP Julia and Bridon. We're down to the final 6.**


	20. The Birds

**We made it back up to 100 reviews! Yaaaaay! Now I can die in peace. Also, there's like one spot left in my new Hunger Games. Still deciding who to place where, because I got like 30-40 submissions. The first three Reapings should be up in the next few days in case you're planning to read it.  
**

**Three chapters left after this one! Anyone a Hitchcock fan?  
**

Chat slowly made her way back to where she had left the water cone, a single clam clutched in her hand. It was all she could find. Seagulls stood in a long line, watching her go. "I feel like I have an audience…" She grumbled, "But I suppose I've had one this whole time. I hope you're all _enjoying _this." She gritted her teeth, thinking of the Capitol viewers that were watching her struggle for survival.

She practically collapsed next to her cone, setting the clam down next to her. Sweet, fresh water shone in the basin. She licked her dry lips and allowed herself to take a sip. Then she went to grab the clam, only to find that it was gone. A seagull stood a few feet away, prying it open with his beak.

"Hey!" She shrieked, throwing up her arms to scare the bird off.

But it ignored her and slurped up what little food the clam had to offer. Then it lifted its head and crowed, "HahahahaHA! HA! HA!" as if it were mocking her. With a frustrated growl, she lunged forward to grab the seagull by the throat. But it leaped backwards, cawing angrily. She struggled to her feet and ran a few steps toward it, causing it to take wing and fly away.

Panting at the effort, she turned back around to see another seagull standing at her water purifier. The seagull nudged the cone with its beak, tipping it over the edge of the boardwalk. "No!" Chat cried out as her precious water was knocked into the ocean. She leaped into the surf after it, but it had disappeared in the murky water. She splashed around frantically, but came up with nothing. The waves had stolen it away.

Choking with sobs, Chat grabbed the edge of the boardwalk and hauled herself back up. There, she collapsed, her energy spent. Water soaked into her clothes, making her feel even more miserable. The seagulls continued to stare at her, cocking their heads. More flew up to join them.

Chat buried her face in hers hands to hide the tears running down her face. But she couldn't stop the sobs from forcing their way out of her throat. She sat there, shaking, silently hoping that the cameras weren't focusing on her. It was all over. All of it. She never could have hoped to win the Games.

She desperately tried to picture happier times in her mind. Days she spent trapping. Or playing with Trail under a clear, blue sky. Suddenly, she felt a searing pain on her knee. Chat lowered her hands to see a seagull standing in front of her, its beak stained red. It had cut a neat gash into her skin.

"Get away!" She cried out, kicking at it.

What followed was as if a bomb had gone off.

At once, all of the seagulls took to the air, shrieking hysterically. They threw themselves at Chat, goring her with their beaks. She threw one arm up to protect her face. The other one flew to her sock, where she concealed her knife.

Once it was in her hand, she slashed blindly at the air. One seagull hit the ground with a thud. Then another. Feathers flew.

But it was no use. For every seagull that fell, two more took its place. They just kept coming and coming, tearing her skin to shreds. One knocked into her hand, and the knife went skittering across the boardwalk. She threw herself down, trying to grab it, but it was lost among a blur of white bodies.

Beaks were digging themselves into every part of her body. They were grasping at her arms, trying to get at her eyes. They pecked relentlessly at her jugular, trying to rip it open. Blood ran across her skin, warm and wet as she lay there helplessly.

Chat knew this was the end, and she accepted this. The cameras were definitely focused on her now. Trail was being forced to watch her die._ God, I'm going to miss him… _Chat thought, her heart swelling with grief.

She threw her arms away from her face, staring into clear blue sky. It looked so beautiful. She wished she had appreciated it more, during her lifetime. Chat's vision blurred with tears and blood as the seagulls went for her eyes. "Trail…" She spoke as strongly as she could. A beak popped into her mouth and tore at her tongue. She tasted blood. Laughter filled the air. The seagulls were laughing at her, drowning out her voice.

"Trail…you stay strong…!" She cried out weakly, over the laughing of the gulls, "For me, okay?" Her flesh was nearly ripped to shreds now. She could feel a pool of her own blood spreading out around her. She felt faint.

_It's nearly over._ Chat closed her eyes, a single tear running down her bloodied face. _But_…_I'm ready.  
_

And with that, she finally gave up the fight.

The seagulls quieted and alighted on the boardwalk, surrounding Chat. For a long time, they pecked away at her body in silence. Then they collectively took to the air and flew away towards the ocean, as if some silent voice had commanded them to do so.

Not long after, the cannon sounded and a hovercraft appeared to collect Chat's body.

* * *

In the evening, Julia, Bridon, and Chat appeared in the sky.

"So that's who died…" Calista noted quietly, staring out the window of the building, "I wonder how it happened…"

They had decided to camp out in the last building. They figured the Gamemakers wouldn't kill anyone by way of disaster at this point, and the thin woods offered little protection, especially since they had seen the remaining Careers leaving their camp earlier. Just to be safe, they stayed on the first floor, staying far away from the room on the second floor, which was overflowing with rats.

"I completely forgot about her." Cara admitted, rubbing her fingers up and down her sores. They had run out of medicine a few days ago, but the welts had nearly faded. She still moved stiffly—motion caused a burning pain—but she was just thankful to be alive.

Calista's stomach growled loudly. "Do we have any food left?"

"No." Cara responded.

There was a long silence.

"Cara, I think we're going to have to…go hunting tomorrow."

"But even if we catch something, we don't have any fire to cook it." Cara pointed out.

"Not for food." Calista replied.

Another long silence followed her words.

"We're going to starve if we don't try to end the Games as quickly as possible…" Calista went on, "So we're gonna have to try and kill who's left."

"But what if it comes down to me and you? We'll have to go our separate ways here soon. Heck, final five sounds like a pretty good time to split." Cara looked as if she were actually considering getting up and leaving at this very moment.

"You're right. But just look at who's left."

Cara frowned. "Yeah. Crazy Careers and one freaky dude with a mohawk. The odds are definitely not in our favor."

"How about we stick together for one more day?" Calista suggested, "Just to see what happens."

"Deal." Cara smiled, "But you'd better not be planning to kill me in my sleep!"

Calista forced a laugh, but it wasn't very convincing. Morbid jokes had lost their humor at this point in the Games.

* * *

Meanwhile, Hip and Channa were scouring the woods in hopes to find one of the three remaining tributes. Of course, they couldn't find anyone at all.

"I just don't get it." Hip growled, kicking a rock in frustration, "Why wouldn't they be hiding in the woods? Would they really be so stupid as to hide in the last building?"

Channa didn't respond. Her eyes felt heavy and she stifled a yawn.

Hip noticed. "You wanna head back?"

Channa nodded. They walked quietly back to the Cornucopia, side by side. Hip couldn't stand the silence and broke it. "What's on your mind?"

"…I just can't believe we lost everyone." Channa answered quietly.

Hip glanced up at the stars. "Yeah? Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later. There are still four of us to go."

"I'm surprised _you _made it this far."

Hip looked at Channa, surprised that she had said such cruel words in such a friendly tone. "Oh yeah? Well, I'm utterly appalled that you even made it out of the Bloodbath! I thought that twerp Cassia would have taken you down for sure!" He shot back, good-naturedly.

Channa giggled. Hip grinned. It _was _kind of funny that they had made it even farther than the District 2 Careers. Channa was so concerned with petty things such as her appearance. And Hip's number one priority was flirting. It was a miracle they were still alive.

As they neared their empty camp, Channa grew serious. "Hey Hip…when do you think we should go our separate ways?"

"After we kill Abbadon." He answered instantly. He had already spent a good deal of time thinking about it. "He killed Bridon, so the only way we'll stand a chance is if we take him down together."

"Okay." Channa agreed, "It's a deal."

* * *

Abbadon was sitting at the entrance to the House of Mirrors, watching the constant motion of the ocean. A moon hung low over the horizon, casting a soft glow on the arena. How many days had they been here? Abbadon tried to count in his head. This was night nine.

_Wow…we've been here just over a week. Feels more like it's been months. _Abbadon thought, feeling a bit surprised.

As he was pondering whom the remaining tributes were, he saw something coming towards him. It drifted over the ocean, growing bigger and bigger as it drew near. At first, he thought it was a seagull, but it quickly became clear that it was actually a parachute.

His heart pounded with excitement, and he stepped out to meet it. He caught it perfectly in his hands, staring down at his gift with wide, excited eyes. He didn't even need to open it.

It was a claymore sword. Sharpened to a point, glowing silver in the moonlight. It came with a note that read, "They're betting on you."

* * *

"Cara, I think the air's gone bad. I think we're going to start dropping dead if we don't do something soon."

"What makes you say that?" Cara asked. They were currently lounging in the shade of the remaining building. The sun was high and it was another sweltering day. Too hot to be on the go, and too hot to stay confined inside.

"Didn't you notice?" Calista nodded towards the limp white bodies spread on the ground, not too far from the boardwalk. Seagulls had started collapsing without reason. The pavement was littered with their unmoving corpses. Their beady black eyes were glazed and seemed to stare into space. Their presence in the ruined city made it even more ominous than it already was.

"Hard to notice these things when every movement causes you pain," Cara grimaced, "But don't worry. The Gamemakers won't kill the rest of us off with some lame poisonous gas. They want to see us fight it out."

"I hope you're right." Calista said quietly.

"Calista," Cara said quite suddenly, "I think it's time we parted. There's just too few of us to maintain an alliance any longer."

Calista smiled sadly. "Yes. You're right. Thanks for everything, Cara."

Cara patted her on the back, her eyes kind. "No, thank _you_. And good luck."

She grabbed her scythe and walked away. Calista watched her go. Cara rounded the corner of the building and disappeared from sight. Calista emitted a long sigh and sat down. She felt utterly alone. _I wish Tasi were here… _She thought tearfully. Her eyes welled up, but she closed them, holding the tears back.

Then she heard the scream. She was instantly on her feet, running with her knife in her hand. "Cara!" She shrieked, rounding the building. No one was there. She kept running. She turned the next corner, and there they were.

Cara and Abbadon were locked in combat. Abbadon was wielding a sword, slashing it repeatedly at Cara. She blocked his blows with her scythe, but her muscles were quivering with effort. She was trying desperately not to fail, but Calista knew that every movement caused her pain.

Their alliance was over, but that didn't mean anything to Calista. Her friend was in danger. So she shot forward, knife raised. Abbadon saw her coming and leaped backwards. His sword flashed with movement. Calista dodged just out of reach, but the sword sliced right next to her ear, taking locks of her hair with it.

Cara swung her scythe. Abbadon deflected the blow with his sword. Calista tried to stab at him, but each time she did, he was prepared to dodge. He was highly skilled. Neither of them could seem to touch him.

Finally, the tide turned. Abbadon caught Cara on her arm, ripping it open. She cried out as blood sprayed from the wound. With one hand on the scythe, she tried to fend her attacker off, but she was weakening. He struck again. Her shirt became wet with blood.

"Come on, Cara! Run!" Calista shouted, grabbing her friend and dragging her backwards to avoid Abbadon as tried to cut her once more. "Let's get out of here!"

"No…" Cara panted, her voice wrought with pain, "You go!"

Calista's eyes were wide. She didn't want to abandon her friend. But Cara knew this was a battle she couldn't win. She couldn't hope to outrun him. She couldn't hope to survive. And even if she was the victor of the Hunger Games, she didn't want to live the rest of her life in pain from these stings.

With a flash of her old optimism, she forced a smile. "I'll be okay."

Suddenly, they could hear the sound of running feet. The three tributes turned to see Hip and Channa, the two remaining Careers, round the corner of the building. They came sprinting straight for them, armed with a mace and swords.

"GO!" Cara shrieked at Calista, her eyes swimming with fear. Behind her, Abbadon had raised his sword, about to bring it down on the young girl…

Calista turned and ran. A cannon fired, but she didn't look back. She knew whom it belonged to. She knew her friend was gone. She didn't stop running until she had reached the forest. There she stopped, breathing heavily between sobs. Now she was truly alone.

A few minutes later, the cannon fired a second time.

**RIP Chat and Cara. Four…or perhaps three…remain.**


	21. Calm Before the Storm

**Hey guys! The creator of Bridon, lifelovelaughmarie AKA Cinna-is-my-Stylist, is making her own Hunger Games and she needs your characters! After you're through reading this chapter, head on over to her profile (I think she would prefer if you contacted Cinna-is-my-Stylist) and PM her a character. :) Okay, now let's kill some more tributes!  
**

The sounds of a struggle had led Hip and Channa to the remaining building. They came flying around a corner to discover the last three tributes battling it out. One of the girls promptly fled. Abbadon quickly disposed of the other one, digging his newly acquired sword into the side of her neck.

Just as her cannon sounded, Hip and Channa were upon him. Abbadon whipped around to meet them. He carved his sword through the air. The tip of it grazed Channa's cheek, slicing a neat red gash under her eye. She flinched. Then Abbadon brought his foot up, smashing it into her hand and she lost her grip on one of her sai.

But then Hip was there, winding up his mace. He released it, but Abbadon was quick. He nimbly sidestepped the lethal weapon, and then launched himself at Hip.

"Aaaaargh!"

Hip roared as Abbadon caught him in the side with his sword. He went down, clutching at his stomach.

"Hip!" Channa shrieked. Before the older boy could finish off her district partner, she threw herself at Abbadon, grabbing at his sword arm with her free hand, trying to keep him from bringing it down. But she wasn't strong enough.

For a moment, they seemed to freeze like that. Her clinging to Abbadon's arm. Him glaring at her fiercely, his usual smirk replaced by a snarl. And Hip crouched on the ground, an inch from death as Channa tried to hold Abbadon at bay. But she was weakening. Her muscles burned. It was obvious she was going to fail. Abbadon would kill them both, and become the victor.

_I won't allow it!_

She brought her knee smashing into Abbadon's crotch. He gave a sharp gasp and the sword tumbled from his hand, clattering on the ground. Channa quickly kicked it away, but Abbadon was not out for the count. He threw himself at her. She tried to run, but he easily caught her, grabbing her by her long brown hair.

With his superior strength, he threw her to the ground. Pain reverberated through her body as her head struck the pavement. She lay there stunned. Then she could feel large hands snaking around her throat, squeezing it. She couldn't breathe. Her eyes rolled up and locked onto Abbadon's. His face, covered with dried blood and bruises, was screwed up with pain and fury. She clawed at his hands weakly, trying to free herself. She tried to scream, but she couldn't produce any air.

It was no use. Dark spots clouded Channa's vision. She closed her eyes. At any moment, she would pass out and it would be over.

But then there was a sickening crunching sound. The pressure at her throat disappeared. Channa's eyes fluttered open. Hip's blurry image hovered over her. In one hand, he held his mace. The other was at his stomach, stemming the flow of blood. "Channa, are you okay?" He shouted, but his voice sounded far away.

A cannon fired and Channa thought that it was hers. But then she rolled her head to the side and spotted Abbadon. His skull was completely smashed in. She couldn't recognize any features on his face. He was slick with blood. She looked back up at Hip, trying to make sense of what had happened. Her head was pounding unbearably and she was still finding it difficult to breathe.

"C'mon, Channa, stay with me…" Hip begged, his voice breaking slightly. He glanced around, as if expecting help to appear. But what he saw coming at him was the farthest thing from help that he could get.

It was the Spider-Man. It stood at least ten feet up, using its freakishly long tentacles to crawl along the ground. It was a creature straight out of a nightmare. And it was coming for them.

"Channa!" Hip shouted desperately. But she was fading in and out of consciousness. Working quickly, he grabbed her sai and forced them into her hands. He snatched up his mace and gave it a heave. It crashed to the ground among a pile of rubble, a good distance away from them. Then, ignoring the protest from his injury, Hip scooped Channa into his arms and ran. He could hear the Spider-Man closing in. His heart pounded with fear, but he pushed on, headed back in the direction of the Cornucopia.

Suddenly, the sounds of the pursuing muttation were cut short. Hip spared a glance back. It had stopped by Abbadon's discarded body and begun to devour him. Relief washed over Hip. But he didn't stop running until he had reached the Cornucopia. Then he carried Channa inside and lay her down.

"Please wake up…" He murmured, brushing her hair behind her ear. She didn't respond. Making sure the coast was clear, Hip headed for the fountain. He filled a canister and went back to Channa. Then he proceeded to dump the whole thing onto her head, quite unceremoniously.

Channa awoke, coughing and sputtering. "What the heck, Hip!" She shrieked angrily.

Hip smiled at her, his eyes shining with relief.

"What are _you _so happy abou-!" She stopped short as the day's events quickly reestablished themselves within her mind in flashes. Abbadon's hands around her throat. His skull completely smashed in. And a terrifying monster making its way towards them...

"I'm just glad you're okay." Hip answered truthfully.

* * *

Cara and Abbadon's faces appeared in the sky that night. Calista was huddled in the top of the remaining building. She had returned there after taking shelter in the forest for a while. She figured that this was her last night alive, and that she might as well sleep under a roof.

_There's just the two Careers and myself… _She thought, terrified, _I'm as good as dead. _

She wondered how she would die. Would the Gamemakers dispose of her, for being a coward and hiding out in this building? Or would they lead the Careers to her? Or maybe some sort of muttation would show up?

The possibilities were endless. She didn't even want to think about it. She curled up on the floor, tears running down her face, convulsing with sobs.

"I'm sorry I volunteered…" She said shakily, her voice barely coherent through her sobbing, "I never meant to. I wanted to protect my sisters. I'm an idiot. I'm an idiot. I'm so sorry. I never meant to…"

After a while, her cries softened to whimpering. Then her whimpering dissolved completely as she finally managed to cry herself to sleep.

* * *

As night fell, silence descended between Hip and Channa. They had spent the evening trying to patch up their wounds with the remnants of the medicine kit. Now, with the danger behind them, their agreement came back into light. Their agreement to part ways once Abbadon was destroyed.

Channa was the first one to bring it up. She approached Hip, who was lying in the grass, staring up at the starry sky. "Hey." He grinned up at her as she stood over him.

"Hey. Um…about that deal we made earlier…"

Hip was instantly on his feet, his expression hard.

Channa tensed up, her grip tightening on each of the swords in her hands. But Hip didn't attack. He just stood there, staring at her, as if he wanted to say something. It was then that she realized something was amiss. "Your mace…where is it?"

"I threw it away to save you." Hip answered flatly. He was tensed up, as if he was expecting her to attack him.

Channa could feel her face turning hot. "Oh," was all she managed to say. She hadn't even noticed until now.

"Yup." Hip shrugged, but he didn't relax.

"Why did you save me?" Channa asked quite suddenly, "I mean, just out of curiosity, but we _did _say the alliance was over once we killed Abbadon. You could have let him or that monster finish me off."

For a moment, Hip looked taken aback, as if he could not believe she would bring this up. Then he narrowed his eyes defiantly. "Trust me," He said coolly, "The thought crossed my mind. I was totally ready to let Abbadon do away with you."

"But the point is…" Channa's eyes shone triumphantly, as she used his own words against him, "You didn't."

Hip stared at her, his face slowly turning a bright shade of scarlet.

Channa giggled. "Wow, Hip, I've never seen you blush. That's a good look for you!"

He shook his head, as if to clear it away. "Forget it. I'm outta here."

"Wait!" Channa cried out.

"I'm sticking to our deal." Hip said, staring at the ground, refusing to make eye contact. "You get some rest. Tonight, I'm going to look for the last tribute. When I get back…none of this ever happened." He looked up, his gaze boring into Channa. Then he turned and walked away slowly, moving tenderly due to his injuries.

Channa watched him go, trying to push away the feelings of sadness that threatened to overwhelm her.

* * *

Hip left the park area, walking steadily towards the remaining building. It was dark, but he still managed to find the place where they had battled Abbadon. His body was gone, and so was the Spider-Man. Hip traced his steps to where he had thrown his mace.

There. It was right where he had left it. Smiling, he picked it up. _Good to see you again._

With his weapon in hand, he spent an hour or two searching the arena for Calista. He scoured the forest and poked around in the rubble. He checked a few rooms in the building, but decided to leave after encountering an army of rats on the second floor. Hip tired quickly. It had been a trying day, and the dull ache in his stomach wasn't helping.

_You work so hard to maintain the perfect six-pack, and then some punk goes and cuts it up like salami. _Hip thought ruefully, shaking his head in disgust. Ah, well. These sorts of things could be repaired in the Capitol.

Yawning, Hip headed towards the amusement park. He considered spending the night in the House of Mirrors, but it was far too creepy in there. And if he listened hard enough, he could hear the relentless pounding of the carousel's bass drum. So instead, he wandered over to the Ferris wheel. It was tilted, but there was still a car resting near the ground. Hip climbed inside and curled up on the floor, closing his eyes.

The car rocked gently, lulling him to sleep. Clouds were rolling in, shrouding the moon, casting the arena in shadow. It was very late. It had to be past midnight by now. The final 24 hours spent in the arena…just 2 more to die…

Hip counted in his head. This was the tenth night they had been here.

_Hey… _A sad smile flickered across his face. _Today's my birthday._

* * *

Channa remained at the Cornucopia all morning. Dark storm clouds hung over the arena and thunder rumbled far in the distance. _This is it… _She thought, with growing apprehension, …_the calm before the storm._

She ate what she could find, finishing off the last scraps of food. Then she waited for Hip. A cannon had never sounded. He would probably wind up coming back here.

And sure enough, here he came, sauntering towards her with his mace in his hand. Her heart sunk at the sight of it. He was spinning it casually, a confident lop-sided smirk planted on his face. Channa grabbed her sai and stood near the edge of the hill, waiting for him. He scaled the hill and walked along the edge of it, towards her. When he was about twenty feet away, he stopped.

"A shame it had to come to this!" He called to her, sounding quite cheerful.

"Yes. A shame." Channa agreed flatly, her throat tightening. She tensed every muscle in her body waiting for him to make the first move.

He brought the mace back as if he were going to throw it. But the momentum it had gained from his spinning sent it flying out of his hand. It flew through the air and landed with a _whump_ ten feet behind him. Then it went bumping down the hill and landed in a heap at the bottom.

Channa stared in disbelief.

Hip grinned sheepishly. "Whoops. I guess that means I lost."

"You did that on purpose." Channa said blankly.

"You think so?" Hip's golden-brown eyes were wide with innocence, "What makes you say that?"

Channa gave him a withering look, but he just grinned. "Okay, if you didn't do it on purpose, then go pick it up. I'll give you a chance to redeem yourself."

Hip hesitated. Channa felt a smile steal its way across her face.

"You got me." Hip shrugged, looking guilty.

Channa lowered her weapons. "So what do we do now?" She asked, completely at a loss.

Hip stared at her, pondering an answer. "Well…I suppose we could just stand here the rest of our lives."

"_That _sounds like a good idea." Channa said sarcastically.

"You have a better one?"

"Nope."

Both of them laughed.

"So what happened to pretending all of this never happened? What happened to forgetting all of this?" Channa questioned, motioning to their surroundings.

Hip gazed at her, his eyes soft. "I didn't want to forget." He admitted, smiling.

Channa opened her mouth to respond, but a terrible sound drowned out her words. It sounded like a freight train. The dark storm clouds seemed to quake as a monstrous tornado descended from their depths. Down from the heavens it came, coming straight down onto the Cornucopia. The metal contraption was ripped right out of the ground and was sent flying in the direction of the woods.

Channa, paralyzed, turned back to Hip. He was staring at her in horror. For the first time, she saw true fear in his eyes. Then, without warning, he darted towards her. She told herself to run, that he was going to kill her, but her feet refused to move.

But instead of grabbing her throat, his hands grabbed her shoulders. His lips smashed painfully into hers for a brief moment. Her breath caught in her throat. The world seemed to freeze around her. Then she was suddenly tumbling down the hill, completely disoriented. He had shoved her, hard. Her sai flew from her flailing hands and disappeared out of sight. The roaring tornado flooded her senses. As she fell, she caught glimpses of Hip sprinting along the top of the hill, trying to outrun the tornado.

But it bore down upon him, pursuing him, as if it had a mind of its own. Channa finally made it to the bottom of the hill, struggling to regain her feet. "Hip!" She shrieked, over the sound of the storm, "HIP!"

But she had lost sight of him. The darkness had swallowed him up.

Channa crouched at the bottom of the hill, her hands covering her ears, trying to block out the constant roaring. Warm tears ran down her face and she was shaking violently. Debris spun through the air around her, parts of trees, bits of the ruined city…

Finally, the sound faded. Channa lifted her head to see the tornado on the far side of the arena. It had gone to raze what was left of the city. She struggled to her feet and unsteadily made her way back up the hill. "Hip?" She wailed. Her throat was raw. Tears blurred her vision.

Relief washed over her when she spotted him. He was lying on the ground, not far from where she was. She hadn't heard a cannon. He was okay.

Channa rushed over to him, panting, "Hip, get up! We have to find cover…"

Hip didn't respond. He was lying facedown, unmoving. She kneeled beside him. Her lips still throbbed from his kiss.

"Hip?" She murmured, reaching out to take his hand.

By the way it fell limp in her own, she knew he was gone.


	22. The Victor

**RIP Hip. I would have put that at the end of the last chapter, but the terrible rhyme would have ruined the mood. Oh yeah, and RIP Abbadon. ...Okay it just hit me that I'm really going to miss writing for Hip and all the other characters and that this story is almost over. /sob/  
**

**Oh yeah. And I never realized I marked down this new account to accept anonymous reviews. -_- Go me. Anyways...  
**

**Two remain! Channa vs. Calista! Let's do this!**

Calista awoke to what sounded like a freight train. Instantly, she ran to the window to look outside. Her insides froze with fear at what she saw. A tornado had come down right on top of the Cornucopia. It looked like a swirling mass of darkness, ripping the ground apart, sending debris into the air. Calista stood there watching, as if entranced by its power. _Have we reached the finale? _

The faint sound of a cannon brought her back to her senses. It was then she realized that the tornado was headed straight for her. She grabbed her knife and fled for the steps, abandoning the rest of her supplies. The roar of the storm grew louder as it bore down on the last remaining building. It filled every part of her, making her heart pound with panic. She had never felt fear like this. Not even when the earthquake had occurred. The tornado was like a monster that was coming for her, coming to destroy her and rip her apart…

She practically fell down the steps in her desperate flight to escape. The building seemed to quake. She could hear glass shattering and feel pieces of it whizzing by her ear. She chanced a glance out the window. She couldn't even see the shape of the tornado anymore. It was upon her.

Calista burst outside and ran blindly. She could hear the building being torn apart behind her, and was highly aware of the debris swirling through the air, but she just kept going. Her lungs burned and her chest felt like it was about to explode. But she didn't stop.

Something smacked into her arm, bounced off, and hit the pavement with a splat. Out of the corner of her eye, she could tell what it was. The corpse of a seagull. Part of the building whizzed right over her head, barely grazing her hair. She was too panicked to feel grateful that it had not struck her.

Finally, she collapsed, at the base of the grassy hill that served as the city park. The hill that had once contained the Cornucopia. She lay there, fighting for breath, forcing herself to calm down. Calista looked backwards to see the last building had been razed to the ground. The tornado had entered the amusement park area. She could see the silhouettes of carousel horses being tossed around like ragdolls.

Suddenly, the feeling that she was being watched compelled her to look up the slope. There, she saw the silhouette of the final tribute, looking down on her. The girl's hair was blowing in the wind, and she clutched one tiny sword at her side. She was waiting for Calista to join her. It was time for the final fight.

Calista met her gaze bravely. One hand tightened around the knife. The other reached into her pocket. She pulled out the picture Tasi had given her. The picture of Hope. And for some reason, she felt at peace.

Then the photograph was torn from her hand by the wind. It shot away and disappeared into darkness. But Calista was already sprinting up the hill towards Channa, brandishing her knife.

Channa waited for her, standing in front of the remains of the fountain and supplies. When Calista had halved the distance between them, she ran to meet her.

Channa aimed to run Calista through with her sai, but Calista dodged out of the way. She jabbed at Channa with her knife, but the Career was prepared and blocked it with her own weapon. But with lightning speed, Calista struck again. Channa tried to block, but was a bit too slow. A neat gash appeared on her arm.

A screech of fury ripped out of Channa's throat, causing Calista to flinch. Channa jabbed at her with her only sword, sticking it into the tribute's chest, missing her heart by inches. Calista's eyes widened and she wailed at the pain that followed. Channa smirked, but before she could withdraw her weapon, Calista's fist came smashing into the side of her face.

She reeled backwards, head pounding, as if the head trauma she had received from the day before had reawakened. She shrieked furiously, but it was lost in the roar of the tornado. The storm had finished destroying what was left of the arena and was now hovering around the edges of the park, circling the two remaining tributes. It was as if it were waiting to pounce on its prey.

Channa tried to stab Calista again, but her sword met with air. She felt as if she were going to fall over. If she did, that would be the end of it. She tried to focus her gaze on Calista, who was holding her bleeding chest with one hand and aiming her knife with the other. Seized by rage, Channa flung herself at her opponent.

The two hit the ground, gasping as the air was knocked out of them. But they hadn't been aware of how close they had come to the edge of the hill. Locked in combat, they rolled down it in a tangle of limbs. Channa lost her grip on her remaining sai. It flew out of sight. Calista tried to keep hold of her knife and stab Channa, but she wound up cutting open her own leg in the chaos.

They both hit the ground painfully. A moan escaped Calista's lips. Channa was trying to regain her feet to find her weapon, but the task was proving to be difficult. She was seeing double of everything. Suddenly, there was a searing pain in her leg as Calista dug the knife into it. Channa tried to pull away, but Calista threw her body weight across her legs, trapping her. She wrenched the knife out of Channa's skin and then cut open the other leg.

Channa tried to kick her off. She tried to sit up and force her away, but then Calista was right on top of her, forcing her onto her back. The tribute held the knife high, preparing to plunge it into Channa's throat. As she brought it down, Channa reached up and caught Calista's wrist in her hand.

The knife quivered as both girls tried to force it one way or the other. The sound of the tornado intensified, as if it were approaching its climax. Calista aimed the knife at Channa's eyes, forcing it down, gasping for breath as she did so. Her chest burned with pain. Blood was all over her hands, Channa's blood mixed with her own. _Just let it be over! _She shrieked inwardly, driving the knife down.

Lightning flashed. Channa could feel the tip of the blade pierce her eye. She screamed, pain filling every part of her being. She screamed until she ran out of air, and then screamed again. She lashed out with all parts of her body, writhing, kicking, punching, forcing Calista off of her. The knife was lodged in her eye socket. Blood poured out of it, gushing down her face, sticking to her skin.

Before she knew it, _she _was on top of Calista. She ripped the knife out of her eye, shutting out the pain, and began to stab repeatedly at the other tribute's skin. The sound of the knife meeting with flesh was satisfying to hear. Calista shrieked, trying to escape, but it was no use. Channa stabbed every part of Calista's body she could reach until she was just a mess of bloody holes. Her struggles grew weaker and weaker until she fell still. A cannon sounded faintly, drowned out by the sound of the tornado.

But Channa kept going. She was vaguely aware that she was still screaming as she murdered Calista. But the screaming had turned into something else. Now, she was laughing. She was laughing hysterically as she continued to gore every part of Calista's body.

Finally, exhaustion drove her to drop the knife. She scrambled off of Calista's corpse and crouched there, at the base of the hill, shaking. Calista was dead. They were all dead.

Filled with unexpected energy, Channa clawed her way back up to the top of the hill. Once there, she rose to her feet and threw her head back, shrieking.

"I DID IT! They're all dead! All of them! I'M THE VICTOR OF THE 42ND HUNGER GAMES!" Her voice broke off into more laughter. _I knew I would always win! And I was right! _She waited for the hovercraft to appear and take her home. But it didn't.

She whipped around to see the tornado not far from where she was. It should have been dissipating. But instead, it seemed to be coming closer and closer…

_Everyone's dead. Everyone. I watched them die. Why is this still happening? _Channa grabbed at her arms, trying to keep her body from trembling.

"I won…!" She cried out weakly. "…Didn't I?"

There was no response.

Channa collapsed on the ground, her energy suddenly spent. Her clothes were red with blood. How much had she lost? They could give her more in the Capitol, right? They would repair her eye too. She was the victor of the Hunger Games, after all…

_Maybe there's still one left… _Channa thought, feeling terrified, _Who all is dead? Bridon, Sienna, Cole, Hip…_

She tried to count in her head, but she couldn't think straight. She couldn't seem to make it past the Careers. _Bridon, Sienna, Cole, Hip…_

_No one's coming._

She was shaking violently, clutching at herself. The tornado came closer and closer.

_I just want to die._

The thought reverberated through her body, filling her up until she wanted to scream, and never stop screaming. The absolute fear was unbearable. She just wanted it to be _over_.

_I just want to die…I just want to die…please just let me die.  
_

The thought repeated itself over and over until Channa blacked out from pure terror.

* * *

When she woke up, she was in the hovercraft, surrounded by medics. She was heavy with bandages and tubes were sticking out of her wrists. She couldn't see out of her left eye and realized that they had bandaged that up too. She could hear murmuring.

"She was screaming when we got her out of there. Asking if she was dead or not."

"Would have been nice if the Gamemakers had turned the tornado off right when she won, but they didn't. Probably some technical glitch. Made navigation a tad difficult."

"But she'll be okay?"

"Oh, yeah. She'll be fine."

Channa couldn't help but emit a tiny whimper. The doctors immediately turned their attention to her.

"Congratulations, Miss Bordeaux," One of the kind-faced nurses said with a smile, "You're the victor of the 42nd Hunger Games."


	23. Epilogue

**Final chapter of the 42nd. Enjoy.**

For a few days, Channa remained under intensive treatment. Her wounds were closed up and her scars disappeared as if they were never there. She underwent surgery and had a bionic eye implanted into her socket. She was not allowed to see anyone until her big appearance on national TV. She endured these few days shrouded in loneliness, left alone with her terrible memories to keep her company.

She slowly came to accept that fact that everyone was dead. It pained her greatly to think of Hip and Cole…whenever she found her mind drifting towards them, she immediately forced herself to think of something else. At the same time, she braced herself for what lay ahead.

The big day came and her prep team whisked her away to get ready. They did her hair, makeup, and dressed her in a low-cut, deep purple gown. When she looked into a mirror, it looked as if nothing had changed. She had no scars, and her new eye appeared to be as real as any other. Even her nose was back to normal. She was Chanpagne Bordeaux once more.

She waited underneath the stage as Caesar got the crowd going. She took a deep breath and tried to smile. This was what she had dreamed of! She would put the Games in the past and embrace the glamour of the Capitol. The metal plate she was standing on began to rise, and Channa felt as if she were rising into the disastrous arena to compete in the Hunger Games once more. Her smile vanished and she emerged onstage with a wide-eyed, flustered look as the Capitol roared and confetti fluttered down from above. She quickly caught herself and beamed at the audience.

Caesar walked up, shaking her hand vigorously and congratulating her. It was always the same spiel every year—the victor sat down to a short interview with the host, and then they were forced to watch a recap of the Games. The whole ordeal lasted about three hours.

Caesar asked the usual questions. "So Channa…how are you feeling? Can you believe that you are the winner of the 42nd Hunger Games?" His voice rose in volume as he announced it once more, and the Capitol applauded.

Channa gave a light laugh and flipped her hair back. "Ohh, I'm feeling fantastic, Mr. Flickerman! I always knew I would win. I had the whole thing in the bag from the start." This was the answer she had imagined giving Caesar after she had won. But she felt disgusting for it, now. _I was an arrogant fool. _She thought despairingly. _I never would have made it here if not for Hip._

Caesar asked her a few more generic questions, how she was faring, a few questions about her health and her new eye. Some inquiries as to how she felt when defeating the final tribute. The questions started to become more personal as they went.

"What were you going through when that tornado was raging around you, yet no hovercraft appeared to rescue you?"

Channa smiled, feeling embarrassed. "I was terrified, Caesar. I thought maybe there was one last tribute left, that the tornado was going to kill me and they were going to steal all the glory."

"Well, our Head Gamemaker has a bit of a flair for the dramatic…as I'm sure you've experienced."

For some reason, the audience chuckled at this.

"Now, I've been building up the courage to ask this, but…what was your relationship to that Hip fellow? And the other one, Cole?"

Channa almost forgot how to breathe. "Oh…" She said, a little shakily, "I know it's cruel of me to say but…I only used them to contribute to my own survival."

Caesar actually looked a bit disappointed. "Oh, yes? I see. Well, that's to be expected. I think we were all taken by surprise by that kiss at the end. But considering it was one-sided…well, at least you'll never have to go through the trouble of turning him down!" Caesar grimaced and added, "Sorry, I'm awful! I'm awful, aren't I?"

Channa stared at Caesar, outraged that he would say such a thing. But the Capitol was laughing uproariously. She felt sickened to no end. But was _Caesar _the awful one? After all, she had just admitted that she used them for her own survival. If anything, he was helping her image. She tried to push it behind her, and forced an amused grin.

Apparently, this was a good place for them to stop. Caesar directed everyone's attention to a large screen as the lights dimmed and the Capitol's anthem began to play. Here was the recap of the Games. Channa watched with wide eyes, dreading the fact that she was about to relive it all over again.

But one of the first things to appear was District 1 riding in on their chariot, accompanied by dramatic music. There stood Hip in his humiliating costume, winking at the crowd. Inside her head, she could hear him saying, "_I was excited when they told me I would be half-naked, but they failed to mention that I was getting a new set of balls._" Channa suddenly found herself laughing. She could see her reaction in a tiny box on screen and she looked like she had completely lost it.

Then came training scores and interviews. A quick shot of her dancing with Hip at the ball. Then the Games began. Pounding drums accompanied the Bloodbath—it was fast-paced and exciting, showing shot after shot of the defeated tributes. Channa watched as she stabbed Bassin through the heart. She had been a different girl back then.

_This would be so much cooler to watch if it all hadn't actually happened… _Channa thought, watching Carson take a flying leap on the carousel. She and Bridon quickly disposed of him. Every year, the recap had some sort of theme interweaved into it. In this, they seemed to make her out as some sort of conqueror. Probably thanks to that screaming fit she had at the end, when she had announced herself as the winner atop that ravaged hill…

"Good night, beautiful." Came Cole's lilting voice, and she watched him kiss her on the cheek. Just hearing him made it seem as if he were alive again.

Channa watched Sienna spear him through the heart and felt rage wash over her. She got to see many other deaths too, ones that she had not known about. She saw Olivia go down in the deadfall trap. She saw Sienna gored by Calista's axe and watched Frederick's body driven into the side of a building by the tidal wave. Her stomach roiled at the unsightly demises of Mitch and Chat.

Her throat closed as she watched Hip save her life twice, first from Abbadon and then from the Spider-Man. She couldn't help but wonder if _he _would've won, had he stuck to their agreement. His kiss and his death flashed by. The filmmakers wanted to get straight to the final fight. She watched with wide eyes at the gruesome murder of Calista. Watched as she clawed her way to the top of the hill and shrieked as if she had gone insane. The film ended there, and Channa felt mortified. Why would they end it on such a terrible spot?

But the Capitol was going wild. They loved every moment of it. Caesar helped Channa to her feet, and suddenly, President Snow was there. He placed a crown on her head and presented her to the world. The ceremony ended with a swarm of people, demanding to shake Channa's hand or get their pictures taken with her.

After what seemed forever, Channa was finally allowed to leave. She boarded a train and rode it back to District 1.

* * *

A month later, Channa was slowly trying to get over the trauma of the Hunger Games. Her family, meanwhile, relished her winnings. They moved to the Victor's Village and lived in a huge mansion. Her father expanded his vineyard, just as he said he would. Her mother couldn't have been happier, finally securing a tie with her beloved Capitol. She visited it at every opportunity and happily submitted to any kind of interview. Dionysus was overjoyed to see his little sister win, and even Chardonnay couldn't stay bitter.

Channa just tried to grin and bear it. She tried to lose herself in the perks that came with victory, but the thoughts of the others always invaded her mind at night. Sometimes she would abruptly wake up screaming, convinced that Sienna was standing over her, about to run her through with a spear…

At some point, President Snow came to visit her. He greeted her family quite cheerfully. Then he requested to speak with Channa alone. That was when he brought up the prospect of her future. What she would be doing the rest of her life.

"Of course, I'll expect you to serve as a mentor in the 43rd Games."

She stared at him, uncomprehending. "But…I'm not even out of school yet."

"Oh, my dear, education isn't of importance to you anymore. Not since you became the victor. You and your family are supported for life. In return, all you have to do is serve as a mentor to up-and-coming competitors."

Channa knew there was no point in objecting. That was just the fate of all victors. But that wasn't the worst of it.

Snow folded his hands, looking grim. "Although, there is something else I shall require you to do for me…"

He explained the fate that befell the most desirable of victors. How their bodies were sold to rich Capitol-dwellers. Channa was appalled that he would even suggest such a thing. When she told him no, he suddenly grew dangerous.

"You'll recall that I said you and your _family _are supported for life due to your victory. But it would be a shame if something happened to them, wouldn't it?"

That was all he had to say.

"…When do I start?" Channa asked dully.

President Snow stood up, concluding the conversation. "The next Hunger Games. For now, enjoy your winnings."

Then he left without another word, leaving Channa stewing in a renewed sense of misery.

* * *

Six months after the Games came the Victory Tour. Channa had recovered a great deal now, and would no longer wake up screaming or crying. In fact, she was a little bit excited for the tour. She had always wanted to see the other districts…of course; it would have been more enjoyable without having to see the dead tributes' families.

Their first stop was District 12. District 12 always offered the worst festivities, so it was usually first on the list. They would travel backwards through the districts, skipping over the one that belonged to the victor in order to save the best for last. This year, they needn't skip any at all since District 1 was the final visitation anyways. Then, they would conclude the celebrations within the confines of the Capitol.

In District 12, they held a small feast for Channa. Then she took to the stage and gave a small, prepared speech to the residents. They gazed at her with dead eyes and hollow expressions. She felt extremely out of place among their ranks. They were the poorest district of them all, and it certainly showed.

At the base of the stage stood the deceased tributes' families. Channa quickly glanced in their direction and then looked away. No one was there to represent Ellis, but she couldn't stand the sight of Carson's family. After all, she had assisted in killing him. She had laughed at his death and declared, "Plus one for Channa!"

His mother and his littlest brother were crying. The older one glared at her with stone cold eyes, unforgiving. She tried not to look at him, but was very aware of his presence. She couldn't have been happier to get off the stage.

It was the same in District 11. Caden's gigantic family had somber expressions, while Julia's family observed her with an air of hatred. She had also been partially responsible for Julia's death. But she put on a fake smile, waving to the quiet audience and uttering the same speech once more.

In District 10, Olivia and Shem's families glared at her with loathing. She couldn't help but wonder why. _I didn't kill your child! _She wanted to scream at them. But then she realized it was just because of her presence. _She _stood before them, instead of their children. Even if she hadn't killed them, she had stolen the victor's crown away from each and every tribute.

District 9 was a bit more bearable. She hadn't been responsible for any of their deaths. In fact, she had defended Drake against Bridon. Of course, she had also called him "Stumpy," which might not have gone over well with his loved ones. Channa spotted a boy and a girl holding each other. The girl was sobbing loudly while the boy looked greatly pained. She briefly wondered if they were mourning Cara or Drake.

Next up was District 8…Channa was dreading the sight of Abbadon's family. But they didn't show. Only a very sad family of Frustlocks were standing by the stage. One little boy peered up at Channa with the saddest green eyes she had ever seen. But at this point, she was becoming used to the grief that radiated off of the families.

District 7 was one of the hardest ones. Tasi's father seemed controlled, but Calista's family glowered at her with undisguised hatred. After all, Calista had only been one step away from victory. Channa stumbled through her speech, trying to ignore the many angry eyes in the crowd before her.

She couldn't have been happier to leave that district. She was in such a hurry to get to the train; she tripped right over something sitting on the ground. There was a loud yelp and Channa, flustered, turned to look at a surprised Golden Retriever. It was looking at her with a hurt expression, as if she had disciplined it for doing something bad.

"I'm so sorry!" She apologized to the dog as if it were human, and felt silly for doing so. She reached out and gave it a pat on the head. The dog immediately brightened up, wagging its tail in happiness. Then it slumped to the ground and rested its head on its paws, returning its gaze to the train. As if it were waiting for someone to appear.

Channa blushed, very aware that cameras were observing her and waiting for her to depart. Without a backward glance, she quickly boarded the train. A few minutes later, it took off, headed to District 6.

District 6 wasn't so bad either. Channa hadn't really had any connections to their tributes. The festivities were getting more elaborate, too. She spared a glance at the families during her speech. Two little girls from Mitch's family had tears rolling down their faces. But a little boy from Chat's family was holding his head high. His mother's face was tearstained, but she could see him comforting her. Channa suddenly felt a warm glow for his bravery.

District 5 was a sad one. Cassia's little brothers kept wailing like she had died yesterday. They finally quieted when a Peacekeeper threatened them. Cole's mother and his little brother had unreadable expressions. Were they angry that she had claimed she had used Cole? Or would they have realized that she really cared about him? Either way, she decided not to say anything about it. Sometimes, tributes would give extra speeches, particularly if they had allied with a deceased tribute. But she suddenly felt averse to that. And so the Victory Tour continued.

Channa enjoyed District 4—it boasted the best celebration yet. The party was held on the beach. It was pleasant, except for the gnawing fear that a tidal wave or a Spider-Man might come out of nowhere. Then it was time to give her speech once more and face the mourning families. She could see a girl, most likely Frederick's girlfriend, sobbing in the midst of the crowd.

In the middle of Channa's speech, Bassin's brother shouted out, "Traitor!"

She stopped, looking at him with a shocked expression.

"You heard me!" He roared, "She was a Career, like you, but you still killed-!"

"She was _not _a Career!" Channa protested heatedly, "She never trained!"

Before they could get into some sort of debate, Peacekeepers removed the boy from the area. Channa felt extremely embarrassed and mumbled her way through the rest of the speech. She was very grateful to be back on the train, headed away from District 4. Her mentors got on her about maintaining formalities and that she didn't need to justify herself to others. That they couldn't hope to understand.

_Could they? _She wondered, as they arrived in District 3.

The celebration here was definitely not as fancy as the one in District 4. But Channa could enjoy herself. She had nothing to do with either of the families here. As she scaled the stage, her heart nearly stopped. Gadgette was standing with her family. She was alive. But upon closer inspection, she realized that it was a boy that resembled Gadgette almost perfectly. Her twin. Aside from that, both sets of parents looked pretty darn miserable to be there. Channa sighed and got on with the speech, which she had quickly become sick of.

_Here we go…District 2… _She took deep breaths to prepare herself. She half-expected Bridon and Sienna's families to attack her once she took to the stage. But they remained in their assigned sections. Bridon's parents looked very upset, which surprised her. She had expected them to be as emotionless as their son. Sienna's father, however…

He didn't even look sad. He was looking at her coolly, as if he couldn't care less about what was going on around him. As if he couldn't care less that his daughter was dead. _If she wasn't strong enough to win the Games, then she's not my daughter. _He seemed to say. Channa looked away, disgusted to gaze upon this man for even a second. No wonder Sienna had been so twisted.

Finally, _finally_, she returned home to District 1.

Carnival rides were set up all over the place. A Ferris wheel, puny compared to the one in the arena, stood high in the town square. A carousel played zany, upbeat music. Children squealed from within a House of Mirrors.

Channa attended a feast, complete with the many delicacies of District 1. Then, everyone was called together for her speech. It was slightly different, since it was for her home district. She read it, trying to sound excitable, over the sound of cheering. The whole of District 1 loved her. Well…almost everyone.

"I'm so happy I was able to represent District 1 in the Hunger Games…I hope I made you proud!"

The crowd roared approval.

Channa smiled, feeling a bit more like her old self. As she were before the Hunger Games. "And I hope I can continue to make you proud when I take on the duty as mentor."

The audience was so loud, she felt as if her eardrums might burst. The mayor came forth and handed her a bouquet of flowers. She thanked them one last time before going off the stage. She hadn't said a single word about Hip. But that was what she had wanted…she didn't want to thank Hip when everyone but him was there to hear it.

Besides, it was time to enjoy the celebration. This was the final festivity of the 42nd Hunger Games.

Channa milled about in the crowd, wondering what to do while staring blankly at the many colorful stands that dotted the square. Every person she passed wanted to congratulate her for her feat six months ago. She nodded in thanks to each of them, but their words began to blend together and become meaningless babble.

Suddenly, she spotted a young man who looked very familiar. He had reddish hair and a face that Channa had seen on more than one occasion. He was staring straight at her—she found herself drawn to him. She approached him, tilting her head in wonderment. He blinked back at her, looking surprised that she would pay any attention to him.

"You…you look familiar." She said lightly, completely ignoring those that moved in to congratulate her.

The boy's face was reddening until it matched his hair. "I was by the stage during your speech."

He didn't need to say anymore. He was Hip's cousin—he had been standing in the area that was provided for family members. But that wasn't the only place she recognized him from.

"You were at the Reaping. You blushed when I…licked my lips at you." She suddenly felt awkward.

But Hip's cousin laughed it off. "Wow, you have some memory on you! Yeah, I'm not as smooth with the ladies as Hip is...was. Sorry for staring."

Channa smiled. "I don't care. I like attention. Or I used to. Err…I mean…" She searched for words, feeling flustered. "What am I trying to say here?"

"Don't worry about it. The name's Rhutter." He held out his hand to shake hers, but suddenly decided against it and scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"Um, you're not…mad at me, are you?" She didn't know why she said it, but she did. Months later, she was still feeling pangs of guilt.

Rhutter laughed once more. "Of course not! If anything, I'm mad at Hip for getting himself into something he couldn't handle. He should have waited a few more years before volunteering. Plus, he left me with his spoiled rotten cat." Rhutter shook his head, looking disgruntled at some past memory.

Channa couldn't help but feel relieved. At least that was one less person that wouldn't blame her for winning.

"Y'know, I think Hip would be happy to know that you won." Rhutter went on softly, his eyes suddenly distant and sad. "Just don't feel bad about it, Channa. Everyone dies at some point...and we can't hope to control that, y'know? It was just his time."

"…I know. I'll…I'll never forget Hip." She admitted, months of repressed sorrow suddenly washing over her. Her eyes welled with tears and her chin trembled.

Rhutter smiled, his eyes gentle with understanding. "Let's not talk about sad stuff anymore. It's all in the past now. Wanna ride the Ferris wheel with me?""

Channa knew what he meant. They couldn't control the Hunger Games…they would continue on and on, into the future. They would create bloodthirsty Careers, raised to become victors. They would make the poorer districts suffer and keep killing their children. And now, Channa had become the Capitol's possession. She would spend the rest of her life, training these deadly Careers and watching these children die…

But there was nothing she could do about it. She just had to keep living through this endless cycle of love and loss.

Channa turned her gaze to the Ferris wheel. It was full of smiling children, some of them waving to her to join them as they rotated around and around. She smiled.

"Sure. Let's go!"

_**~THE END**_~

**Long author's note time! In case you haven't figured it out by now, yes, this is a SYOT! I was just being careful about it on the first page because I didn't want it to get taken down again (but yes! I still followed the rules! I never lied about that). So let's give thanks where thanks is due…**

**First of all, a big thank you to everyone who took the time to read/review this story! And an even bigger thank you to those of you who made it happen by submitting a character. Here's the final placing of the competitors along with their lovely creators, some of which are my friends, some of which are site-goers:**

**1. Channa (The Head Gamemaker)**

**2. Calista (Brandi)**

**3. Hip (Me)**

**4. Abbadon (Brandi)**

**5. Cara (Squidie Fledge )**

**6. Chat (Alex/PinaColadaChan/My sister)**

**7. Bridon (livelovelaughmarie)**

**8. Julia (purplee uzumaki)**

**9. Mitch (Michele)**

**10. Tasi (RockSolid)**

**11. Frederick (justicesquad111)**

**12. Sienna (XTurtleInstinctX)**

**13. Cole (Brooke/Savannah)**

**14. Olivia (Shannon/russianthroughredsquare)**

**15. Carson (Elizabeth)**

**16. Drake (Nellie D)**

**17. Bassin (Twister Triste)**

**18. Caden (Janell)**

**19. Ellis (Emma Rizcool)**

**20. Ash (Hikari Darkness)**

**21. Shem (Andrew)**

**22. Gadgette (The Head Gamemaker)**

**23. Cassia (Nellie D)**

**24. Jack (Alex/PinaColadaChan/My sister)**

**If anyone was wondering, I picked Channa while I was still writing the Reapings. It had nothing to do with the amount of reviews (although Head Gamemaker left some pretty awesome ones!) or anything like that. I liked the character and agreed with HG that Careers need to win these things more often, since it seems that loveable underdogs always pull through. It also helps that I tend to favor jerkish characters over goodie two shoes. **

**Also, thank you to Alex, Elizabeth, The Head Gamemaker, purplee uzumaki, Hikari Darkness, Nellie D, Twister Triste, and Asami Sato for sponsoring Abbadon, Tasi, Mitch, Hip, Mitch (again), Cara, Channa, and Channa (again). **

**And last of all a BIG thank you to my sister for submitting awesome characters, editing the story for me, and helping me throw around ideas. You are awesome, Alex! This story wouldn't be where it's at if not for you. That goes for the next one, too.**

**Okay, I think I'm done here. I hope to hear from those of you that have had characters approved for the next one! If not, I hope the rest of you have a nice life. May it be ever in your favor. ;)  
**

**-Hipengy aka Hoprocker**


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